A new, tougher ordinance regulating back flow preventers for industrial, commercial and residential uses will be on the next Corpus Christi City Council agenda Jan. 10, announced city manager Margie Rose at the council’s Dec. 20 meeting. 
Rose also noted that city staff would be looking at emergency response protocols as well, especially concerning the role of the city council in a crisis situation. 
Focus of the ordinance is to prevent another water interruption like the one that resulted in a no-use water ban for most of the city Dec. 14-19. According to reports from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions, a back-flow problem at the asphalt plant contaminated the industrial area of the city’s water system. (See Attorney General investigates, page 16.) 
“We need to look at our industrial district agreements,” Rose said. “We need to make some strong adjustments to the back-flow prevention ordinance as it relates to commercial and residential as well. Some changes need to be made, that’s the bottom line.” 
District 5 council member Rudy Garza agreed, but emphasized the necessity to look at industrial compliance first. 
“The dangers that arise from the industrial district are so much greater than what comes from the commercial or residential side,” he said. “I’d first like to make sure that we get an updated list from port industries and the industrial district about how many meters we have so we can go out and do an inspection.” 
He also urged that the work be done “between now and Jan. 10.” 
“I want to make sure that people feel comfortable that we’ve taken immediate action to make sure there are back-flow preventers where they need to be,” he said. 
Garza also mentioned a similar discussion at a city council meeting three years ago. The debate was about whether inspections should be done every one, two or three years. Garza said he favored annual inspections. 
“We need to be sure that everyone who has a back-flow preventer in this city is listed and is being inspected,” he said.

 
COUNCIL PROTOCOL

Keeping all nine council members informed seemed to be the underlying issue for establishing clear protocols for council members. 
“I got calls from constituents I couldn’t answer,” said District 3 council member Lucy Rubio. “Every council member needs to know what’s going on so we can relate to our constituents — not some have more information than others. I felt like we were not important. I was offended.”
“The council did an outstanding job, but many times information was not quite as transparent,” Rose said. “It is not clear in the plan what the council role is. We’ve got to get that right.” 
Another problem arose from the number of organizations that tried to help but couldn’t because of a lack of coordination, she pointed out. For example, a ride-hailing company wanted to help deliver water to shut-ins, but couldn’t get anyone to respond to their offer. 
“We had a huge disconnect in our communications,” Rubio said. “A lot of things need to happen. Anyone getting water from the city, we need to know who they are and that they have a back-flow preventer. This can never happen again. We are not Flint, Michigan, but we could have been.” 
Much of the industrial district is not in the city limits and therefore does not have to follow many of the city’s ordinances. Where utilities are concerned, which includes water, they do, city attorney Miles Risley informed the council. Rose promised a much tougher ordinance relating to all properties with back-flow preventers would be in their next council packets.