Corpus Christi rushes to seat advisory committee for Inner Harbor desal modeling amid tight procurement timeline

Corpus Christi rushes to seat advisory committee for Inner Harbor desal modeling amid tight procurement timelineCity officials are assembling a diverse stakeholder group to validate environmental impacts before a final investment decision, though staff acknowledge the targeted April deadline for contract approval may slip.

A Far Field Advisory Committee will be formed by January to oversee environmental modeling for the Inner Harbor desalination project.

City staff anticipate receiving a price-certain proposal from the developer in mid-February, with a target contract approval date in April.

Water Supply Management Director Brett Vanhazel admitted the April timeline for completing the modeling is aggressive and may require an extension into the summer.

The City Council approved an interlocal agreement with the cities of Alice, Beeville, and Mathis to share engineering and operational resources.

The City of Alice reported its brackish desalination facility is currently producing 1.5 MGD, with plans to reach 3 MGD by early 2026.

The City of Corpus Christi is moving forward with critical environmental validation steps for its proposed Inner Harbor seawater desalination plant, establishing a 'Far Field Advisory Committee' to oversee modeling of the project's discharge impacts on the Nueces and Corpus Christi Bays. During a December update, City Manager Peter Zanoni and Director of Water Supply Management Brett Vanhazel outlined an aggressive schedule aimed at bringing a final contract to the City Council by April. The city is currently in negotiations with Corpus Christi Desal Partners (CCDP) for the facility. The consortium—comprised of Acciona, MasTec, Reytec, and Ardurra—was engaged to develop the project following the city's split with Kiewit in late 2025 over a $1.2 billion cost estimate. While the group has no completed desalination projects in Texas, it was ranked second in the original procurement process and tasked with utilizing existing design data to generate a viable option. According to Vanhazel, the developer is expected to deliver a 'price certain' proposal by mid-February. The city intends to run the environmental modeling concurrently, with the advisory committee—comprised of industrial representatives, environmental advocates, scientists from the Harte Research Institute, and community members—guiding the selection of a third-party modeler. The proposed timeline requires the committee to be seated in January and a modeler selected by February. Vanhazel stated the goal is to complete the modeling by April to align with the contract vote. However, he cautioned that the schedule is tight. 'We’ve had input from various experts and they believe the amount of time that we’re trying to do this in may not be possible,' Vanhazel told the council, noting a 'possible time extension' into the summer could be necessary to ensure the analysis is comprehensive. Council members expressed concern regarding the sequencing of the financial and environmental data. Councilman Eric Cantu questioned whether the environmental study results would be ready before the council is asked to vote on the project price. 'My concern is when that vote comes, we don’t have the study back,' Cantu said. The city has engaged Plummer Associates to draft the scope for the modeling Request for Proposals (RFP). Councilman Gil Hernandez questioned this selection, noting Plummer’s previous role as a sub-consultant to Freese and Nichols on the project’s near-field modeling. Vanhazel clarified that Plummer would only draft the solicitation document, which would then undergo peer review by the Port of Corpus Christi and the new advisory committee. Separately, the council approved a resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement with the neighboring cities of Alice, Beeville, and Mathis to share water and wastewater resources and technical expertise. Alice City Manager Michael Esparza told the council that Alice has been operating on desalinated brackish water for six months, currently producing 1.5 MGD. Esparza stated the city plans to reach full capacity of 3 MGD by the first quarter of 2026, which would reduce Alice's draw from the regional Lake Corpus Christi system by approximately 90%.