What to know about Nueces River Authority’s offer to operate Harbor Island desal plant

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Proposal for a Seawater Desalination Plant at the Port of Corpus Christi’s Harbor Island

The Nueces River Authority has proposed to lease the Port of Corpus Christi’s Harbor Island property to operate a seawater desalination plant, citing an impending water shortage that the city of Corpus Christi’s proposed desalination plant would not be able to cover alone.

Port officials have been seeking to attain permits for a proposed desalination plant at its Harbor Island property, but they have said the port does not plan to own or operate a desalination plant. Instead, the permits would provide either the city or a third party the option to construct, own and operate a desalination plant, the Caller-Times has previously reported.

The river authority’s proposal was “unsolicited,” port Chief Executive Officer Kent Britton said, but the port will consider the offer.

Meeting with the City of Corpus Christi

John Byrum, executive director of the Nueces River Authority, said Friday that he has scheduled a meeting with the city of Corpus Christi to discuss the proposal.

The river authority serves primarily as a regional water resource planning agency for all or parts of 22 counties in South Texas and monitors state and federal activities that could affect the Nueces Basin, according to its website. 

The river authority “has broad authority to preserve, protect, and develop surface water resources,” including water supply.

What does the proposal say?

In a letter to Britton early this month, Byrum cited a 2022 long-term plan developed for the Texas Water Development Board that projects a water supply shortage for the Coastal Bend by 2030 that would grow by more than 50% by 2070.

The city of Corpus Christi’s proposed desalination project — planned to generate as much as 30 million gallons of processed water per day — could cover the deficit by 2030, Byrum wrote, but the Coastal Bend would be in a deficit again by 2040 without further development in water supply.

More water sources must be developed, he wrote, to accommodate job growth in the region driven by industry.

Under the plan, the river authority and the Port of Corpus Christi would agree to a long-term lease for property on Harbor Island, and the river authority would use the permits obtained by the port to operate a desalination plant.

The plan in Byrum’s letter lists several other steps for the design and construction of the plant, as well as reaching contracts with industrial and municipal water providers outside of the service area where the city of Corpus Christi has the exclusive right to provide water.

The authority would seek funding from private sources to cover up to 35% of the costs for construction and would issue bonds for the remaining funds.

Britton declined an interview with the Caller-Times but said in a written statement that the port was open to considering the river authority’s offer.

“The Port of Corpus Christi is in receipt of an unsolicited offer from the Nueces River Authority to lease property at Harbor Island and utilize permits the Port is trying to obtain, for the purpose of building a large-scale seawater desalination facility,” Britton wrote. 

“The Port will evaluate the offer as it would any other commercial offer to lease property.”

Concerns and Opposition

The city of Corpus Christi had not responded to the Caller-Times’ request for comment at press time.

Port Aransas Conservancy’s Perspective

The Port Aransas Conservancy, an environmental advocacy group, previously appealed a permit awarded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the Harbor Island site, with a discharge point into the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. 

The case remained in a Travis County district court as of last week, conservancy President James King said. 

The conservancy said it opposes the Nueces River Authority’s proposal as written, in part because it would require the port to turn over its existing inshore discharge permit and its application for offshore intake, which is still under review. 

The conservancy has advocated for taking the discharge point offshore to avoid harming marine life in the bay. Port officials said in August that they are working on applying for a new permit that would take the plant’s discharge point offshore to accommodate a plant capable of producing as much as 100 million gallons of water per day — a larger plant than initially proposed.

Byrum told the Caller-Times on Friday that he supports taking the discharge point offshore, not only to avoid harming marine life but also to expand the plant’s production capacity.

King said the port should only turn over permits to the city of Corpus Christi because it is the regional water supplier, whereas the Nueces River Authority serves a much broader region.

The city needs “to help make those decisions so that we make sure we take care of the environment and the people of the Coastal Bend,” King said. 

“The port is actually doing the right thing in applying for a permit offshore. Let’s don’t make that go sideways. Let’s make sure that happens.”

King added that discussions about a plant operated by the Nueces River Authority should include the city of Port Aransas, given that Harbor Island is in Port Aransas city limits, and local scientists, including experts with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. 

Byrum said the Nueces River Authority “would certainly be willing” to work with the city of Corpus Christi to provide water if the port approves the proposal and if the city needs to purchase water from the Harbor Island plant.

He also said the river authority will work with the city of Port Aransas “at the appropriate time.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
   • Indicator 6.4.2: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emissions per unit of value added.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • Indicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

• Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
• Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 6.4.2: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources.
• Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emissions per unit of value added.
• Indicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate housing.

These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the targets of SDG 6, SDG 9, and SDG 11 mentioned in the article.

Source: caller.com