The Inner Harbor desalination plant is tentatively back on the table.
In a narrow vote, the Corpus Christi City Council on Feb. 24 gave the green light for staff to draft a contract with Corpus Christi Desal Partners to advance the project, planned to generate as much as 30 million gallons of treated water per day.
Voting in favor of pursuing a contract were Mayor Paulette Guajardo and City Council members Carolyn Vaughn, Everett Roy, Mark Scott and Roland Barrera.
City Council members Gil Hernandez and Kaylynn Paxson voted in dissent, and Eric Cantu abstained.
This rendering provides a general view of the overall site for the proposed Inner Harbor desalination plant in Corpus Christi, according to Efrain Rodriguez, vice president of business development at Acciona Aqua Corporation.
The pending contract with CCDP is expected to include three major components: taking the project to 60% design, refinement of a guaranteed maximum price and development of a demonstration plant, city officials have said.
The council could consider the drafted contract in April.
CCDP, now poised to take on the project, was the second-ranked bidder in the initial award process.
Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was the initial design-builder, but the design contract was terminated in a 6-3 vote in September.
Several council members attributed their vote against continuing with design to the overall cost for plant development that had been quoted by Kiewit — about $1.2 billion, based on 10% design.
CCDP’s preliminary guaranteed maximum price is about $979 million.
Under that figure, it’s estimated that the bills of average residential customers would increase by about $13.80, according to a presentation shown to the City Council.
Average residential customers use about 6,000 gallons of water per month.
Bills would increase by about $46 for average commercial accounts and, for large-volume users, by about $207,000, the presentation showed.
Project controversy has continued, mirrored in a nearly three-hour public comment session. Among concerns that have consistently been raised are potential environmental impacts, as well as the proximity to the Hillcrest neighborhood.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi City Council votes to draft contract for desalination