CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Harbor Island desalination project moved a major step closer to reality after the Nueces River Authority selected an international company to help build the massive facility.
But while board members approved the partnership and celebrated the future of water security for the Coastal Bend, the meeting quickly spiraled into controversy involving an internal investigation and the resignation of one of the agency’s top executives.
The Nueces River Authority Board selected IDE Technologies as its partner for the proposed 100 million gallon per day Harbor Island desalination plant. The company, based in Israel, was also the top-ranked choice recommended by NRA Executive Director John Byrum…