CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A sharply divided crowd filled council chambers as the Corpus Christi City Council voted to move forward with a new contract with Corpus Christi Desal Partners (ccdp) for the Inner Harbor desalination project — a proposal supporters say is essential to prevent the city from running dry.
Public comment quickly revealed the depth of tension surrounding the project.“I will give the city 5 million dollars to vote no today,” one speaker told council members.
Backers of the plant argued it is the only viable long-term solution as drought conditions persist and water demand grows.“This project remains the only project that can offer drought-proof long-term supply and is fully permitted with funding to build,” another speaker said.
Others warned the stakes are existential for the city. “If you don’t have it in a couple of years you’re not gonna have schools, you’re not gonna have a town,” one resident said. “This town is going to dry up.”
Council members acknowledged the urgency. At-Large Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn said updated projections show the city’s water supply could be depleted sooner than previously expected.“We thought we were gonna run out of water in November, but it’s gonna be sooner than that,” Vaughn said. “We have to do something.”
Still, even some supporters raised concerns about unanswered environmental questions, including a far-field modeling study that would examine potential impacts to Corpus Christi Bay. “The question that you need to be asking the experts this year, whoever they are — why are you not doing the far-field modeling,” one speaker said.
Cost also weighed heavily on the discussion, with some leaders warning of long-term financial strain.“We are going to double our debt,” District 5 Councilman Gil Hernandez cautioned. "Once we borrow that money, we have to pay it back, our hands will tied when it comes to rates."
In the end, the council voted 5-3, with one abstention, to advance the contract for the plant. Officials said the latest agreement comes in hundreds of millions of dollars lower than earlier estimates. The project sits at $978.7 million dollars, down from the price quoted by Kiewit last year of $1.3 billion. Shortly after, council decided not to move forward with Kiewit.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo acknowledged Tuesday's split vote but expressed optimism about collaboration moving forward. “I would have loved a 9-0 vote. That would have been ideal,” Guajardo said. “People have their reservations and it doesn’t mean those can’t change. But I feel good — we have a good team with Corpus Christi Desal Partners, we have a good team with Corpus Christi Water, and we have a council who’s willing to work with them. That’s what it’s going to take.”
The far-field study is expected to return to the council within weeks as city leaders continue balancing environmental concerns, financial risks and the push to secure a long-term water supply.
The next big test for the project comes in April, when council will decide whether to move forward with a 60% design build.
