Corpus Christi Approves Brackish Desalination, Evangeline Groundwater Spending Impacting Jim Wells County

Corpus Christi City Council authorized a contract Feb. 17 with FCC Aqualia USA Corp. of Katy, Texas to design, procure, assemble, commission and operate a containerized brackish groundwater desalination plant at the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant, and on Feb. 24 gave final approval to a broader multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar water package as the city presses to avoid forced curtailment. The city update lists a $43,548,474 award to FCC Aqualia, up to $11,451,526 for ancillary ONSWTP improvements, and up to $120,000,000 for emergency pump station and conveyance construction, figures that sources describe collectively as about $175 million.

City materials specify the containerized plant will begin delivering 3.91 million gallons per day by the 11th month and reach 21.3 MGD by the second year, while a 13‑mile pipeline in city records is sized to convey as much as 24 MGD from the Western Well Field to ONSWTP for treatment. City staff told council the presentation included estimated customer impacts of roughly $3.38 on an average residential bill using 6,000 gallons per month, about $11 for a typical commercial account, and a $50,000 figure for industrial operations; the city also expects to seek as much as $25 million in state grants.

Reporting contains a vote count discrepancy for the Feb. 17 item: a local TV report said the council moved forward 8–1 on the nearly $175 million brackish plan, while a City of Corpus Christi update and news release stated the council “voted unanimously to approve the project.” The Feb. 24 meeting recorded final approvals on the package and a separate vote to authorize negotiation of a design‑build contract for an Inner Harbor seawater desalination plant that passed 5–3 with Councilmembers Carolyn Vaughn, Mark Scott, Everett Roy, Roland Barrera and Mayor Paulette Guajardo voting in favor, Gil Hernandez, Kaylynn Paxson and Sylvia Campos opposed, and Eric Cantu abstaining.

The Evangeline Groundwater Project figures also vary across reports: KRIS 6 and city updates state “more than $230 million” to advance Evangeline, while another report describes “nearly $200 million toward ongoing efforts.” Explicit Evangeline line items include nearly $38 million to purchase groundwater rights at Li Ranch, contract amendments with Pape‑Dawson Engineers for construction management and inspection, reported involvement by Garney Companies, an addition of 22 new wells and roughly 35 miles of pipeline to bring water online.

City leaders framed the moves as an expedited response to drought and low reservoirs. Nicholas Winkelmann, Chief Operating Officer of Corpus Christi Water, said, “This is an innovative approach to increasing our water supply in an expedited manner.” City Manager Peter Zanoni informed council that the date when total water supply won’t meet demand “will arrive sooner than November.”

Critics noted concerns that increased drilling and pumping may affect private wells and water quality; city officials maintain groundwater development “can be done safely” and that conveyance infrastructure will deliver water to ONSWTP while reducing flows to the Nueces River. None of the provided reporting explicitly locates Li Ranch or Evangeline wells in Jim Wells County, so mapping and groundwater drawdown modeling are needed to determine whether project footprints or drawdown zones intersect Jim Wells County private‑well areas. For media questions, the city listed Ashley Marion, Strategic Business Manager, at (361) 826‑3706 or ashleym6@corpuschristiTX.gov.