(This story was updated to add new information.)<\/p>\n
Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo announced April 1 that city leaders will discuss recent turmoil at the Nueces River Authority\u00a0with potential implications for Harbor Island desalination during an April 14 Corpus Christi City Council meeting.<\/p>\n
The Nueces River Authority is currently working to develop a seawater desalination plant on Harbor Island. The Harbor Island project is separate from the similarly named Inner Harbor desalination project being pursued by the city of Corpus Christi, though both are potential future water sources for the region.<\/p>\n
The Corpus Christi City Council agreed last year to pay a nonrefundable $2.7 million fee to the Nueces River Authority to reserve water from\u00a0the proposed Harbor Island plant<\/a>, which aims to become operational by the end of 2029.<\/p>\n Guajardo’s statement on Facebook<\/a> was in response to reporting by KRIS-TV that Nueces River Authority Chief Operating Officer Travis Pruski had alleged in a letter to the river authority Board of Directors that\u00a0Executive Director John Byrum had presented inaccurate water sales figures to the river authority board and Corpus Christi City Council.<\/p>\n “Our City should demand the immediate return of these funds and a full, independent investigation must be conducted,” Guajardo said in a text message to the Caller-Times.<\/p>\n A statement sent by Gov. Greg Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, on April 2 said the governor expects “a thorough investigation” into the allegations and for the Nueces River Authority board “to act swiftly once the investigation is complete.”<\/p>\n “Every\u00a0member of a Texas board or commission should\u00a0uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in service of the people of Texas,” the statement read.<\/p>\n In a text to the Caller-Times, Pruski said that he was made aware that information he\u00a0submitted\u00a0to the Nueces River Authority board had become public.<\/p>\n \u201cOut of respect for the process and on the advice of counsel, I am not in a position to comment or provide additional information at this time,\u201d Pruski wrote. \u201cI trust that the Board will address these matters appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n Byrum also told the Caller-Times that he was unable to comment on the \u201cpersonnel matter.\u201d<\/p>\n “As this is a personnel-related matter with potential legal implications, the Authority cannot comment on specific details at this time,” a statement from the Nueces River Authority shared with the Caller-Times by Byrum reads. “However, the Board of Directors has engaged independent legal counsel to conduct a thorough and objective review.”<\/p>\n Once the outside review is completed, the board of directors is expected to call a special meeting to discuss the results.<\/p>\n Board Chair Eric Burnett declined to comment.<\/p>\n The allegations<\/p>\n In the letter, which was provided to the Caller-Times, Pruski alleged that Byrum had overstated how much water from the future plant had been reserved, sharing figures that were not official until months later.\u00a0The letter from Pruski also raises concern that a flood mitigation grant awarded to the river authority might be at risk.<\/p>\n “The Nueces River Authority takes all such concerns seriously and is committed to ensuring that they are fully evaluated in a fair and responsible manner,” according to the Nueces River Authority news release. “Operations and project work across the region continue without interruption, and the Authority remains focused on delivering reliable water solutions for the communities it serves. Additional information will be provided as appropriate following completion of the review.”<\/p>\n Byrum told\u00a0the Caller-Times\u00a0in August that 38% of the water the Harbor Island desalination facility could produce has already been claimed by customers, with another 30% under negotiation at the time, according to\u00a0previous Caller-Times reporting.<\/a>\u00a0This is a slightly higher\u00a0than the amount the letter alleges was inaccurate.<\/p>\n In October, the Corpus Christi City Council voted 5-3 to pay the fee to secure water from the plant, though several leaders expressed hesitation and concern about\u00a0paying a nonrefundable fee without fully knowing how much the water might cost.<\/p>\n Guajardo voted against the agreement.<\/p>\n In an April 1 Facebook post, Guajardo wrote that\u00a0she has\u00a0requested\u00a0that the Corpus Christi city manager \u201cgive the people a full accounting and update immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n The Nueces River Authority is not the only entity facing internal turmoil.<\/p>\n In late March, the Corpus Christi City\u00a0Council voted 5-3 to\u00a0proceed\u00a0with a citizen-submitted petition to\u00a0remove\u00a0Guajardo<\/a> in relation to a controversy over an incentive granted for the downtown Homewood Suites hotel development, though Guajardo has denied allegations of misconduct and malfeasance.<\/p>\n The Harbor Island project<\/p>\n The Harbor Island desalination project has been in the works for years. In 2025, the Port of Corpus Christi agreed to lease the property to the Nueces River Authority for the purposes of constructing a desalination plant.<\/p>\n A condition of the lease agreement was that the plant sell water to the city of Corpus Christi at a discounted rate, with the port agreeing to waive part of the rent payment owed by the river authority for water provided to the city.<\/p>\n If completed as planned, the Harbor Island facility would have a capacity of 100 million gallons of treated water per day.<\/p>\n The city of Corpus Christi’s plans for a desalination plant that would generate as much as 30 million gallons of treated water per day were previously delayed. In February, the city council voted to resume negotiations for the Inner Harbor project.<\/a><\/p>\n