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Affordability

Making the Inner Harbor Desalination Plant affordable for the community has been a top priority. Through smart financing and strategic planning, the City is working to keep costs manageable while securing a reliable water supply for the future.

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The project has received substantial financial support through the Texas Water Development Board's (TCEQ) SWIFT program, which has provided $757 million in low-interest loans. These favorable loan terms will save ratepayers approximately $125 million over the life of the project. The City is actively pursuing additional grant funding through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to potentially reduce costs even further.

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Large industrial customers have been key participants in this effort. For the past five years, they have voluntarily contributed an additional 25 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used to help fund this new water supply. Starting January 2025, this contribution will increase to 31 cents per 1,000 gallons, demonstrating their continued commitment to the community's water future. To date, these funds have totaled over $25.1M contributed to support water resources.

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Corpus Christi Water is working to prevent unnecessary costs. Delays in this project can be expensive – each month of delay could add about $3 million to the total cost due to inflation. The City is carefully managing the project timeline to avoid these additional expenses.

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The cost of this new water supply will be shared across all water users – including industrial, commercial, residential, and wholesale customers. The City also achieved significant cost savings by strategically locating the plant near its existing water system, which eliminates the need for expensive new piping infrastructure.

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Environmental Sustainability

The Inner Harbor Desalination Plant represents years of careful planning and environmental stewardship. The journey began with a comprehensive study from 2017 to 2019, where 21 potential locations were evaluated before selecting the Inner Harbor site as the optimal location. This wasn't a decision made lightly – it followed extensive water quality testing and flow evaluations under various conditions to ensure it met or exceeded all environmental requirements.

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Environmental protection is built into every aspect of the plant's design. The plant will use a specialized wedge wire screen system that draws water from the Inner Harbor Ship Channel at a very gentle rate – less than half a foot per second – to minimize impact on marine life. A proven jet diffusion system that safely mixes the discharge water with existing seawater will return the water back to the channel. This technology isn't experimental – it's been successfully used in similar facilities worldwide, including Perth, Australia, where a comparable plant has operated for nearly 20 years without negative environmental impacts.

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Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant can be viewed as another success story. Located in a similar bay system, this facility operates alongside a wildlife viewing center that attracts over half a million visitors annually – clear evidence that desalination plants can coexist harmoniously with marine ecosystems.

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The plant will help clean the waterway by removing heavy metals, debris, and sediment during the desalination process. These materials will be safely disposed of in a landfill, while the natural salts filtered from the water will be returned to the channel through the carefully controlled discharge process.

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Steps have also been taken to minimize the plant's impact on the surrounding community. The facility will feature soundproof buildings to contain operational noise, and the City has developed specific traffic management plans to route trucks along designated roads, primarily Nueces Bay Boulevard.

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The City’s commitment to environmental protection has been validated by key regulatory agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) endorsed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) draft discharge permit for the facility. This significant milestone demonstrates that the project meets rigorous environmental standards set by both state and federal authorities, ensuring that the City can move forward while protecting the marine environment.

Reliability

The Inner Harbor Desalination Plant represents a major step forward in securing the community's water future. This project, which has earned the support of three consecutive City Councils, is set to become the City’s most dependable water supply when it begins operations in 2028.

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Adding this new 30 million gallon per day treatment plant will significantly strengthen the City’s water system's resilience. Currently, the community relies on a single facility – the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant. The new desalination plant will provide crucial backup capacity and expand the Coastal Bend’s overall water supply, helping ensure the City can meet its growing community's needs.

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The desalination plant will produce water that meets or exceeds the superior rating standards set by the TCEQ– the same high standard as the City’s current water supply. In fact, TCEQ has designated the City of Corpus Christi as a Superior Public Water System, reflecting the ongoing commitment to excellence in water quality. Residents can be confident that water from the new plant will be indistinguishable from the existing supply in both taste and quality.

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One of the most important features of this facility is its drought-proof nature. By using seawater from the bay as its source, the plant will be able to produce high-quality drinking water regardless of rainfall levels or drought conditions. This reliability is crucial for the region's future, especially during periods of water scarcity.

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The integration of this new water supply into the existing system will be seamless, thanks to the Navigation Pump Station. This station already has much of the necessary infrastructure in place, allowing us to efficiently connect the new plant to the current water distribution network. This reliable water supply will serve all customers – from residential households to commercial businesses, irrigation users, and large-volume industrial partners.

Affordability
Environmental Sustainability
Reliability

A Drought-Proof Water Source

The City of Corpus Christi is committed to securing the community's water future through the innovative Inner Harbor Desalination Project. This landmark facility represents years of careful planning and thorough analysis. After evaluating 21 potential locations across the region, the City selected the Inner Harbor as the optimal site for this critical infrastructure.

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The approach to this project focuses on three essential priorities that benefit the entire community. First, the City is committed to making this project affordable, ensuring responsible use of public resources while securing its water future. Second, the City has placed environmental sustainability at the forefront of its planning, protecting the marine ecosystem. Finally, the City is focused on creating a reliable water supply that will serve the community's needs for generations to come, even during periods of drought.

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Each of these priorities has shaped every decision in the project's development, from site selection to technology choices, resulting in a thoughtfully designed facility that will help secure the Coastal Bend’s water future.

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