The Corpus Christi City Council voted 5‑3 Tuesday night to reject, once again, a nearly $1 billion water‑treatment project that had been in development for a decade. The proposed desalination plant was meant to provide a drought‑proof source of drinking water, but council members raised concerns about its high price tag and the impact of salty discharge on Corpus Christi Bay.
State officials urge forward motion
Governor Greg Abbott watched the vote and, after the council’s earlier rejection a year ago, warned that the state might have to step in to protect the region’s water supply. Abbott’s chief of staff, Robert Black, called the plant “a tremendous opportunity to finally get ahead of the curve and be proactive to solve their long‑term water challenges,” adding that the state has already supplied loans and funding. “All that’s left is courage and vision from the City Council,” he wrote.
Recent rains ease short‑term pressure
A five‑year drought pushed Corpus Christi to the brink of a water emergency last spring, when forecasts showed demand could outpace supply, forcing a 25% cut in residential use. Recent summer rains and Hill Country floods have lifted reservoir levels from about 15% six months ago to roughly 48% today, allowing the city to relax restrictions on lawn watering and vehicle washing. Nonetheless, projections still point to a potential water emergency in the fall of 2028.
Project details and financing
The plant, fully permitted and about 60% designed, would sit along the bay in the Hillcrest neighborhood, a historically Black area. It could produce roughly 30 million gallons per day—over a third of the city’s daily demand—and be expandable to 80 million gallons per day. The “preliminary guaranteed maximum price” was listed at $978.8 million, about 25% lower than earlier estimates, but that reduction did not sway opponents.
The city received a $2.75 million state loan in 2017 for early planning, followed by $222 million three years later, and the state has now pledged more than half a billion dollars, of which $10 million has been disbursed.
Council members split on the issue
Council Member Gil Hernandez voted against the plant, citing cost, location, and environmental risk, while emphasizing he supports water solutions generally. “I want to say that I am for water, I’m not against seawater desal,” he said. Council Member Carolyn Vaughn echoed the sentiment, stressing the need for a safe, cost‑effective project that discharges into the ocean.
Other members, such as Everett Roy, argued the city must take bold steps, stating, “I back water… I’m not going to sit there and turn water down.” Council Member Kaylynn Paxson expressed support for an alternative proposal—the Harbor Island Desalination Project—being advanced by the Nueces River Authority, which aims to serve multiple Coastal Bend cities with about 100 million gallons per day.
Political backdrop
All nine council seats, including the mayor’s, are up for election in November, and the desalination debate has become a central campaign issue. Two council members who voted to end the project are challenging Mayor Paulette Guajardo, who supported the plant. Two other members who voted on opposite sides are not seeking reelection.
Mayor Guajardo was absent from the meeting after being suspended for 30 days over perjury accusations related to a separate impeachment trial concerning a 2024 tax‑incentive deal with a hotelier.
Community and industry perspectives
Opponents worry about the plant’s impact on the bay and question the environmental study that concluded the salty discharge would not harm marine life. Some argue that heavy industry—oil refineries and petrochemical plants that consume about 60% of the city’s water—should shoulder the cost of new water sources.
Local business leaders, including Perry Fowler of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, urged the council to move forward, emphasizing that “reliable water infrastructure is strategic infrastructure” and that decisions should be made with a long‑term view rather than reacting to temporary reservoir levels.
Looking ahead
If approved, the desalination plant could begin operations in 2030, providing a critical buffer against future droughts. For now, the council’s rejection leaves Corpus Christi to rely on existing reservoirs and alternative water‑supply proposals while the city prepares for the upcoming election season.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
