Texas Water Development Board approves $535,110,000 to the City of Corpus Christi (Nueces County) for a seawater desalination plant

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AUSTIN – (July 23, 2024) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) today approved by resolution financial assistance in the amount of $535,110,000 in multi-year financing from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT)* program to the City of Corpus Christi (Nueces County). The City will use the assistance for the planning, acquisition, design, and construction of a seawater desalination plant.

The City could save approximately $932,000 over the life of the loan by using the SWIFT program.

With the assistance approved today, the City will complete the permitting process plus acquisition of the site, design, and construction of the Inner Harbor Ship Channel seawater desalination plant to help meet the increasing water demands of its customers. The plant will be designed to produce potable water and will be fully integrated into the City’s regional water system, with an initial capacity of 20 million gallons per day and the option to expand to 30 million gallons per day in the future. The City previously received funding for this project from the SWIFT program in 2020 and 2017.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood mitigation, and agricultural water conservation projects.

*The SWIFT program includes two funds, the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) and the State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas (SWIRFT). Revenue bonds for the program are issued through SWIRFT.