The reason the City of Corpus Christi is trying to force Beeville and Alice into negotiating a new water contract is because that city is trying to get more money.

That was the message from Jim Urban of Urban Engineering in Corpus Christi.

Members of the Beeville Water Supply District voted unanimously to hire the Urban firm to study options when they met Tuesday evening with the Beeville City Council.

“We need to be thinking about not changing the contract if you can help it,” Urban told those at the meeting.

Urban, son of company founder Eugene Urban, said Corpus Christi has consultants preparing a “rate model” for that city in an effort to bring in more money for its surface water system. He said part of the effort of that city is to bring in communities using the same water system that do not fit that model.

Urban Engineering designed the Beeville Water Supply District’s surface water system in 1979 and has consulted Beeville concerning the system since.

“I would be cautious,” Urban said. “I’m not sure you are paying a fair rate for your water. You may be paying too much.”

Earlier in the meeting, Interim City Manager Joe B. Montez explained that Beeville pays 87 cents for each 1,000 gallons of raw water it takes in at its structure on the Nueces River at the headwaters of Lake Corpus Christi. He said that rate was agreed upon years ago in a contract with the City of Corpus Christi.

Montez said the Beeville City Council had the BWSD created by the Texas Legislature after the city began experiencing water shortages in 1979. A study revealed that the city’s four wells were not keeping up with the demand and that led to the decision to build a $10 million surface water system.

The BWSD was given permission to sell up to $13 million in bonds to build a system but the project cost only $10 million.

The system included a raw water intake structure, the George P. Morrill, I Water Treatment Plant at Swinney Switch and a 22-mile pipeline to Beeville.

The BWSD signed a contract with the City of Corpus Christi for the purchase of raw water and then signed a contract with the City of Beeville to provide treated water to the community on April 8, 1982.

Beeville has used an average of 1.1 billion gallons of water from the lake ever since. “It hasn’t changed much,” Montez said.

Both Montez and Urban tried to explain the “take or pay” contract that the Corpus Christi City Council wants to negotiate with the BWSD. Montez said that the ordinance passed on Sept. 9 by the council in Corpus Christi gives Beeville until Nov. 8 to negotiate a new contract or that city will allow the level of the water in Lake Corpus Christi to drop from 80 feet above mean sea level to 74 feet.

The bottom of the intake port through which Beeville now uses is at 73 feet. If the lake level is allowed to drop to a point where air is allowed into the system, creating “cavitation,” Montez said Beeville’s system will begin to have problems.

“They know that and we know that,” Montez said.

BWSD board member Bill Stockton questioned the legality of Corpus Christi trying to force Beeville into a new contract. He recommended that the city have an attorney review that contract to see if that could be done.

Montez agreed it would be a good idea to have a lawyer read the document. But he also cautioned against getting into a legal battle with Corpus Christi. “It’s just too expensive,” he said.

Urban said Corpus Christi’s goal is to assure a cash flow. “They don’t want Beeville to go to its wells. There’s a reason they are doing it,” he said.

Urban said he had given Montez the name of a firm that can review the contract between the BWSD and Corpus Christi.

Urban said his company would consider all alternatives to solving Beeville’s problem and to see what could be done without agreeing to a new contract. He mentioned that dredging the river bottom at the raw water intake structure could be done inexpensively. The lake level has dropped so much during the current drought that Urban said it may be possible to dredge the area from shore with a dragline.

He also suggested studying the well situation but warned that the water from the wells may need to be treated to meet state guidelines.

Although Beeville and Alice had only 45 days left on their 60-day notice to agree with a new contract with Corpus Christi, Urban said it would be hard for that city to deliver on its threat to allow the water level to drop to 74 feet.

He said the fact that Corpus Christi does not even have a contract written is evidence that it is just studying its options and that city is not sure what it will end up doing about its need for a better cash flow.

“I don’t know how tough Alice’s problem is,” Urban said. But he assured the council members and the water board that “the water commission is going to be all over them if they cut off anyone’s water.”

“I’d almost bet you that you don’t get a contract for you to sign in 90 days,” Urban said.

The engineer said Beeville is in a good position for dealing with the situation because its $10 million bond issue will be completely paid off in six months.

With the BWSD able to sell another $3 million in bonds, Urban said it is now time for the city to look at its water needs for the next 20 years and make some plans.

Stockton suggested that the city not limit its study to the next 20 years but figure on a plan that will meet water needs for at least 50 years.

Water board member Clyde Lacy asked if the BWSD could move its raw water intake structure without Corpus Christi’s permission.

“Yes, we can,” Montez said. “But Corpus Christi can also force us to move it.”

Urban said it would be better to deal with the intake structure at its current location and to study the options available for restoring the city’s wells.

Water board member Bill Grigsby suggested that Beeville also find out what would be needed to treat the city’s well water to meet state requirements.

Mayor Santiago “Jimbo” Martinez Jr. suggested that a plan for routine, maintenance dredging around the raw water intake structure may be the answer.

Montez said a two-stage plan would be the best way to address the problem in the future. Plan A, he said, would call for dredging around the intake structure and opening the lower port and Plan B would be to get the city’s wells in operating condition again.

Water board member Ronald “Buddy” Hardy made a motion for the BWSD to hire Urban’s company to begin the study and report on the city’s options. Stockton seconded the motion.

Urban said the study probably would cost the district a few thousand dollars and he expected to have some information for the board soon.

The board then voted to hire the company.

Before adjourning, the water board voted to approve its 2009-10 budget and set its 2009 ad valorem tax rate at $0.17127 per $100 of assessed valuation.