City of Corpus Christi | City Council Meeting June 2, 2026 Recording Part 2

The City of Corpus Christi City Council convened on June 2, 2026, to review a detailed presentation on the Corpus Christi Bay farfield study conducted by Spheros Environmental and subcontractor Hazen and Sawyer. The study focused on modeling the environmental impact, particularly salinity and stratification changes, from the proposed Inner Harbor Seawater Desalination Treatment Plant. The presentation included technical explanations of the hydrodynamic model, validation against observed data, and scenarios including worst-case conditions. Council members and farfield committee members provided extensive feedback, raising concerns about ecological impacts, dissolved oxygen levels, and the adequacy of the study's scope. Public comments reflected significant community opposition, especially from the Hillcrest neighborhood, citing environmental justice and health concerns. The meeting also addressed the financial aspects of the desalination project, including a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) verification of approximately $78.6 million for the next phase, funding sources, rate impacts, and potential consequences of project cancellation such as defeasance costs and credit rating downgrades. A motion to table the contract approval until September 1 was made and passed, reflecting the council's desire for further information and contract negotiations with large water users before proceeding.