City officials are pumping the brakes on a deadline for a contract to purchase treated brackish groundwater from the South Texas Water Authority after significant public outcry.
The Corpus Christi City Council had initially requested that a contract be brokered by Aug. 24.
But both the city staff and STWA officials told the council July 22 that more time is needed to provide the detailed information the city had requested — items integral to crafting the formal legal document, they said.
The council remains on board to explore the opportunity to join efforts with STWA in securing a new source of water, several members said.
But several also echoed environmental concerns voiced within the community on how brine, if discharged into Baffin Bay, would impact the unique ecology and, consequently, marine life, recreation and tourism.
City Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn noted that she is concerned about the bay’s health but also wanted to continue to explore the possibility of STWA’s project being among the solutions to augment Corpus Christi’s water supply.
“We’re still interested in the project — very much so,” she said, addressing STWA Executive Director John Marez. “But I want to give you all time to be able to vet (it) — do what you need to do and bring it back.”
That includes more environmental study to review potential impacts to the bay, should brine discharge be directed into that water body — and whether other alternatives would be feasible, according to officials.
Those efforts are in progress, Marez said.
The project
STWA is partnering with private firm Seven Seas Water Group to explore and develop a desalination plant near Driscoll, which would be capable of generating at least 3 million gallons of treated water per day.
An unofficial proposal by STWA, put before the council in June, would expand the plant’s capacity to supply the city of Corpus Christi with 28 million gallons of treated water per day.
STWA is pursuing the project with or without the city signing on, Marez said, adding that the directive from the STWA board is to secure a second water source, potentially provide service at a lower rate and build drought resilience.
Seven Seas is expected to “design, permit, construct, finance, and operate a facility,” as described in the city and STWA’s memo of understanding.
The company is financing the project, Marez said.
“Seven Seas has put up a lot of their own money,” Marez said. “Not a single dime has been asked from our tiny water system to put upfront, and that works … because we don’t have the budget and the resources that the city of Corpus Christi does. So that public-private partnership has been helpful.”
Additional work
In a memo, city staff wrote that postponing the contract deadline would “allow the parties more time to evaluate the project, continue due diligence analysis, and negotiate a contract.”
Among those items is a “map showing location of treatment facility, well field and discharge location,” the document states.
Confirmation on permitting is also pending, said Drew Molly, chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water, adding that all the information is needed to establish costs involved — a requisite to assembling a contract for review.
The original contract deadline was “very ambitious,” Marez said.
It’s anticipated that water per thousand gallons would cost the city no more than $5.50, Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid told the council in June.
That still appears promising, officials said.
“We feel confident that number can be close to the $5.50 per thousand,” Marez said. “That still has to be run through a lot of different scenarios. … There’s still a lot more that needs to be done.”
The environment
Although opponents of the project filled City Hall on July 22, undertaking the environmental studies was not catalyzed by the backlash, Marez said.
He added that “there’s a lot of environmental work, there’s a lot of different studies, that we are initiating or will be initiating.”
“This is already in the works, so this is not in response to anyone,” Marez said. “We have those same questions and are trying to vet it ourselves. But we feel confident that this project, if you agree, could be delivered to you.”
Baffin Bay is only one option, he told the council, but because it may be the closest location, it is likely “the most cost-effective for the residents.”
Still, “we all live here, we all enjoy being outdoors … so we would never jeopardize any part of it,” Marez said.
A team with local researchers has been built to study the science, with involved agencies to include Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Harte Research Institute, said attorney Charlie Zahn, who represents STWA.
“Science will make this determination. … If science doesn’t show that there’s no adverse impact on Baffin Bay, we will not discharge in Baffin Bay,” he said.
Moving forward
The original Aug. 24 deadline for a contract was rescinded by the council in the July 22 meeting, and it is anticipated that STWA officials will return to the council Sept. 23 with an update on progress with the project.
The idea behind setting a timeline for an update is to “make sure that it stays front of mind,” said City Councilman Gil Hernandez, adding that he didn’t “want this to be buried and just never brought back to council.”
“I don’t want just one solution,” he said. “We need multiple solutions.”
It’s estimated that construction on the project would conclude by early to mid-2027, according to STWA officials.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here’s why the city of Corpus Christi is extending a contract deadline for a water project
Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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