The Nueces County Sheriff's Office operates two jail facilities that collectively use more than 3 million gallons of water each month to serve between 900 and 1,000 inmates.
"We're a big user," Hooper said.
The main jail at 901 Leopard Street houses approximately 450 inmates and uses about 1.6 million gallons of water monthly. The McKenzie Annex, a medium-security facility at 945 North Padre Island Drive, houses just over 400 inmates and consumes a similar amount each month.
Showers, toilets, and kitchen operations drive usage
Hooper said the highest water usage comes from showers and toilet flushing, but the facilities have implemented conservation measures over the past decade.
"About 10 years ago, using smart flush technology, we cut down on a lot of the water waste that was happening with excessive flushing," Hooper said.
Shower systems require inmates to press a button for a timed water flow. If the button is pressed more than twice within a 15-minute period, the system automatically shuts down. The facilities also operate with intentionally reduced water pressure.
"It's not the best water pressure in the world, and that's by design," Hooper said. "We get complaints from the inmates. They'd like a stronger shower, but we have to [conserve water]. We have 900 people we have to take care of, and we can't be wasting water."
Food service represents another major area of consumption. The facilities serve meals 3 times daily to 900 people — totaling 2,700 servings per day — and all plastic trays and utensils must be washed after each use. While the sheriff's office has considered switching to disposable paper or Styrofoam products, Hooper said that would be "very expensive and wasteful" given the volume of meals served.
Laundry operations require on-site control
Laundry adds to the facilities' water demands. Inmates receive clean uniforms twice weekly, and all clothing must be washed on-site for security reasons.
"We've looked at contracting that out, but that's one part of our process that we have to control," Hooper said. "We couldn't allow them to go to a laundromat somewhere where they might get stolen or misused. We have to have uniform integrity."
Staff ensures only full loads are washed and has reorganized scheduling to maximize efficiency.
Metering challenges complicate tracking
The sheriff's office faces difficulty tracking exact water usage at the main jail because its water meter also serves the courthouse, making it impossible to separate consumption between the 2 facilities.
County-wide conservation effort underway
Hooper's disclosure came as part of a broader county-wide initiative. Each department — from public works maintaining jail facilities to coastal parks managing recreational areas — has been tasked with identifying conservation opportunities and reporting results back to the county judge.
"Every department head and every elected official has their own area of responsibility, and we're all looking at what we can do," Hooper said.
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