The City of Corpus Christi is moving forward with its own plans for a pair of desalination plants that will be separate from the port’s desal project.
The water department is looking at two areas along the ship channel and just across the San Patricio County Line at La Quinta.
Five candidates will be picked next month. Two preferred sites will be selected in July.
The city says the most likely sites are La Quinta and the Ship Channel, adding that the determination of which site will be built first depends on the site and water demand. Both sites will be built to produce drinking water.
“On this side of the harbor, the Corpus Christi side, we have a network of pipes and ways that we can carry water to our customers. That’s all potable water,” said Steve Ramos, water resource manager for the city’s Water Utilities Department.
Water department officials expect to start the permitting phase of the project early next fall.
This story has been corrected from an earlier version that appeared on this website.
