Corpus Christi Negotiates Private Desalination Contract Following Historic Reservoir Depletion and Water Supply Crisis

Faced with a historic drought, Corpus Christi is negotiating a private water purchase from a local manufacturer to avoid a 180 day emergency supply limit.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 25, 2026, 4:57 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Texas Tribune

Urgent Search for Drought Resistant Solutions

In a strategic shift aimed at preventing a catastrophic water emergency, the Corpus Christi City Council voted seven to one on Tuesday to initiate negotiations with a private entity. The council is seeking an agreement to purchase drinking water from a desalination plant currently under construction by Corpus Christi Polymers. This move comes as the region faces a historic drought that has pushed two of the city's main reservoirs to a critical 8.4 percent capacity. City Manager Peter Zanoni has warned that without new long term sources, the municipality of 500,000 people could face a formal emergency declaration within months.

Reversal of Municipal Desalination Efforts

The decision to look toward private industry marks a significant reversal after years of attempts to build a city owned and operated facility. Previous plans envisioned a massive plant capable of producing 30 million gallons of water per day by 2028, but the project was eventually scrapped last September. Officials cited spiraling costs, which ballooned to more than 1.2 billion dollars, alongside intense opposition from environmental advocates. These critics argued that the concentrated salt discharge from a large scale plant would devastate the sensitive coastal ecosystem of Corpus Christi Bay, potentially creating ecological dead zones.

Logistics of the Private Purchase Agreement

The facility currently under consideration is owned by a large plastic manufacturer and was reported to be approximately 90 percent complete as of late last year. According to city records, the plant has already secured the necessary state permits to operate and could begin providing nine million gallons of water daily within a year of a signed contract. While this volume is significantly lower than the original 30 million gallon municipal target, supporters of the deal argue that the speed of implementation is a necessary trade off given the rapidly dwindling local water reserves.