CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi City Council on Tuesday approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Corpus Christi Desal Partners, moving the long-planned Inner Harbor desalination project into its next phase.

The agreement authorizes the group, which includes Acciona, MasTec, Reytec and Ardurra, to develop multiple design and construction options for a proposed Inner Harbor Water Treatment Campus. City officials say the step is aimed at expanding and stabilizing the region’s mid-term water supply.

Under the deal, the group will use existing design data from engineering firm Kiewit to craft proposals with firm pricing. City leaders say that approach is intended to help the council compare specific scenarios, evaluate the scope and scale of a potential facility and limit financial risk before committing to construction.

Corpus Christi Desal Partners is expected to present its options to the council between January and February 2026. If the city chooses to proceed, a design-build contract could be considered as early as March or April 2026.

City officials have described the Inner Harbor project as one component of a broader effort to diversify water sources for Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend region.

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