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Inner Harbor Desalination Contract

At a glance

  • What: A one-reading ordinance to award a design-build contract of up to $78,610,000 to Corpus Christi Desalination Partners, LLC for 60 percent design, design and construction of a demonstration plant, and development of the guaranteed maximum price for the Inner Harbor Seawater Desalination Treatment Plant. Funding would come from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT).
  • Where it stands: Council rejected the contract 3-5 on September 1, 2026. A companion $9,500,000 owner's representative contract with WSP USA was withdrawn.
  • Contention: Nineteen people spoke in the public comment period and several written comments urged a no vote; the minutes do not record the spoken positions.
  • Next: No further action appears in the minutes read; the project's future (including the alternative Harbor Island project) is open.

Council action (September 1, 2026)

  • Presentation by COO Winkelmann of Corpus Christi Water and Leyendecker, principal national initiatives director at Ardurra / Corpus Christi Desal Partners covering the timeline, the phase 1 plant (30 million gallons per day), project cost and rate impact, cost allocation, the Texas Water Development Board, Inner Harbor expansion (30 to 80 MGD) and Gulf discharge routing alternatives, environmental monitoring and staff recommendation. City Manager Zanoni answered questions.
  • Public speakers (positions not recorded in the minutes) included Henry Williams, Deanna King, Daniel Pena, Lamarcus Knox, Mark Muenster, Carolyn Koivula, Lamont Taylor, Jeff Price of San Patricio County, Bob Paulison, Rachel Caballero, Christina McKay, Eli McKay, Laramie Fain, Julian Hernandez, Chloe Torres, Andrea Puyol, Amanda Breland and James Perkins.
  • Barrera moved to approve, Scott seconded. Failed 3-5: Barrera, Scott and Roy in favor; Vaughn, Hernandez, Campos, Paxson and Cantu opposed; Mayor Guajardo absent.
  • The WSP USA owner's representative contract (up to $9,500,000, including the independent cost estimator) was withdrawn.

Written comments

  • John Weber (not a Corpus Christi resident) urged no on both items, calling the $78 million a waste and predicting a final cost far above the roughly $900 million he cited; he said staff should do the work they are paid for.
  • Rose Aumada opposed the contract, citing brine discharge in the Inner Harbor and fairness to the Hillcrest neighborhood.
  • Mariah Boone (District 2) asked for no votes on both contracts and on desalination in Hillcrest.
  • James Sutherland (District 4) argued that industry should pay for its own supply rather than ratepayers and criticized the Inner Harbor location.
  • Item 26 on September 1, requested by Mayor Pro Tem Paxson: John Byrum, Executive Director of the Nueces River Authority, and Winkelmann briefed Council on the Harbor Island desalination project (IDE), including regional shortage projections, the intake, pipelines, permit status and water reservation fees. Deputy Executive Director John Chisholm also answered questions. No action.

Sources

Log

2026-09-01 - City Council

Contract defeated 3-5 after a long public comment period; owner's representative contract withdrawn; Harbor Island desalination briefing heard. The meeting adjourned at 10:13 p.m.