Six months after discontinuing its own seawater desalination project, the Corpus Christi City Council convened on Tuesday to explore a potential agreement with a private entity for water procurement from an under-construction desalination facility. This measure aims to mitigate an impending water crisis.
The council, with a vote of 7-1, initiated negotiations to acquire water from the desalination plant owned by Corpus Christi Polymers, a plastics manufacturer. This facility will process seawater and brackish groundwater to produce potable water by removing salt and other minerals.
Amid a historic drought, the city’s main reservoirs have plummeted to just 8.4% of their capacity, raising alarms that officials may have to declare a water emergency in the coming months—indicating that the city has only 180 days of water supply remaining. City Manager Peter Zanoni has emphasized the importance of desalination as a long-term, drought-resistant solution for the 500,000 residents across seven counties relying on the water system.
Despite the council’s support for the initiative, several members expressed reservations. Council member Roland Barrera, who voted against the measure, voiced his hesitation, stating, “I’m really, really reluctant… Once they come up with a good deal, then I’ll support it.”
In recent years, the council had deliberated the construction of a city-owned desalination plant capable of producing 30 million gallons of drinking water daily by 2028. However, the projected costs nearly doubled to over $1.2 billion, while environmental advocates raised concerns about potential ecological impacts, particularly the discharge of highly saline water into Corpus Christi Bay, which could create “dead zones” in the fragile coastal ecosystem.
After investing millions and years of planning, the council decided to abandon the project last September. An attempt to negotiate the purchase of the Corpus Christi Polymers desalination plant was rejected in October. Now, the council is pivoting towards securing water from this facility, which has already obtained state permits.
Council member Kaylyn Paxson expressed support for moving forward, stating, “I don’t see any reason not to move forward with at least negotiating… I wish the best speed and luck to the project, because that’s what we’re looking for — finding water.”
As of October, the plant was reported to be approximately 90% complete and is expected to produce around 9 million gallons of water daily once operational, which would commence a year after a contract is finalized.
Council member Everett Roy, who supported the measure, urged caution, saying, “I just, once again, I think we should move cautiously… I don’t want to put us once again where we’re in a position of desperation.”
