Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo welcomed Mike Murphy as the new chief operation officer for the city’s water department at a recent news briefing in City Hall. He took over duties on May 17. Courtesy photo

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo welcomed Mike Murphy as the new chief operation officer for the city’s water department at a recent news briefing in City Hall. He took over duties on May 17. Courtesy photo

Corpus Christi’s $213.7 million water and wastewater department now operates under one leader who reports directly to the city manager, a first for the city. Michael Murphy began his job as the new chief operating officer for the water department May 17. He was introduced to the city by Mayor Paulette Guajardo, City Manager Peter Zanoni, and several council members during a news briefing in City Hall on May 24. 
“He is here to usher in a new era for water and wastewater in the city,” Zanoni said. “The key thing is that we have great water and wastewater operators. We have best-in-class water. We want to run it like a business.” 
In their opening remarks, both Guajardo and Zanoni noted the size of the city’s water and wastewater departments, which in the past have operated as separate entities with directors that reported through several levels of administrators before getting to the city manager. Murphy will be part of Zanoni’s team of assistant city managers with a seat at the planning table. 
The city provides water and wastewater treatment for seven counties and a growing number of industries moving to the area. Each of its six water treatment plants are either undergoing massive updates or are under construction. 
“The most valuable commodity a city has access to is its water supply,” Murphy said during his time at the podium. “Providing  safe, efficient, plentiful, potable water is critical to the growth, health, and well-being of a city.” 
Developing a desalination plant for the city is a top priority, both Zanoni and Murphy said. Murphy has already met with the designer of the proposed desalination plant.
“One of my strong points, one of the reasons I was hired for this job, is my background in project management,” Murphy said. “I am good at getting a project developed, designed, and underway, ahead of schedule and under budget. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, a once-in-a-lifetime project, and I’m thrilled to be here and be part of it.”
Murphy and his wife are moving to the city after 16 years in a similar position in Greenville, South Carolina. A native Texan, Murphy grew up in Lubbock.