Dive Brief:
- Corpus Christi, Texas, council members voted last week to pause all work on a $1.189 billion desalination plant until Aug. 26 when they plan to revisit the matter, KRIS 6 News reported, following a lengthy debate over the Inner Harbor Seawater Desalination Treatment Plant’s growing price tag and alternative water supply options.
- The city picked Westlake, Texas-based Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. in October 2024 to design and build the city’s first seawater desalination plant to serve as a drought-proof water supply for its growing population, then projected to cost $750 million.
- The city council was set to vote on a $50 million contract amendment allowing Kiewit to advance design work on the project from 10% completion to 60%, the July 29 agenda shows, but several council members wanted more time to make a decision. Kiewit warned the delay could lead to increased costs and a longer project timeline, according to a letter obtained by 3NEWS.
Dive Insight:
Four council members sent a letter to the Texas Water Development Board that asked whether state funding earmarked for the Inner Harbor site could be redirected to other water projects if the city ultimately walks away, KRIS 6 News reported. It also sought clarity on loan repayment terms and the availability of additional grant funding.
During the July 29 meeting, council member Eric Cantu introduced a motion to pause the project for 30 days in order to give the state time to respond. The delay comes amid growing calls to explore alternatives to the project, even though the city has spent almost $100 million on it to date, according to KRIS 6 News. If the plant advances as planned, it is scheduled to come online in 2028.
Desalination is growing in popularity amid worsening water scarcity, but it remains a less common treatment method. Processing saltwater for drinking water is relatively costly and requires significant energy, and the process disturbs the environment both when the plant takes in water and when it discharges brine, according to E&E News.
However, bolstering the city’s water supply is an urgent issue. Corpus Christi is currently in a Stage 3 drought, meaning most outdoor water use is restricted, per the city’s water agency.
Texas as a whole is dealing with leaky pipes and old treatment plants stressed by a dwindling water supply, growing demand and persistent droughts. Soon voters in the state will decide on a measure that would dedicate $1 billion annually for 20 years to address aging water infrastructure, conservation and new water supplies.
