A plan to become “drought proof” has turned into a financial and political mess in Corpus Christi, Texas.
After years of delays, the city has spent at least $50 million on a desalination plant that still doesn’t exist, while residents have faced drought restrictions and the projected cost has ballooned to $1.2 billion.
Here’s what to know
The 2018 arrangement shielded major industrial water users — including OxyChem, Valero, Citgo, and Flint Hills Resources — from future drought surcharges after they agreed to pay a special fee. But the desalination plant was never completed, leaving those companies with their exemption as the region moved closer to a severe water shortage, according to Texas Public Radio.
Early estimates were far lower. In 2019, assistant city manager Mark Van Vleck told City Council that a 10 million-gallon-per-day plant could cost about $140 million and be operating by early 2023, when ExxonMobil’s plastics facility was expected to boost demand…