$50M desalination vote postponed as questions mount over cost

Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone a critical decision on whether to spend another $50 million on the city’s controversial Inner Harbor desalination plant until August 26. The delay followed a lengthy debate over the project’s ballooning price tag, existing debt, and growing calls to explore alternative water supply options.

The proposed funding would have advanced the project to 60% design completion, finalizing engineering plans and locking in a guaranteed maximum price. But several council members said they want more time to assess the project’s true long-term costs and whether other options might better serve the city’s needs.

So far, the Inner Harbor desal project has already cost the city almost $100 million.  Critics say the soaring price tag and lack of transparency about alternatives raise serious concerns — and may be reason enough to stop the project altogether.

See the full story by KRIS-TV Senior Reporter Suzanne Stevens.