CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The city is prepared to spend $11 million on the initial phase of the project. Right now -- that means working with an engineering firm to get the permits required from the state to build a facility.
The city is still working to make it’s desalination plant a reality and if all goes as planned it could start pumping out water by 2024.
The $11 million will also pay for some of the engineering of the facility and will cover the cost of buying the land to build the plant. It’s estimated that the desal project is going to cost somewhere from $150 million to $220 million.
"If it gets up to $220 million, there could be a rate impact to the right pair that would be a family of five that is using an excess of 3,000 gallons a month and their water bill might go up another $10 or $15," Councilman Roland Barrera with the City of Corpus Christi said.
Councilman Barrera feels that the project is going to be closer to that $150 million mark and there would be no impact on ratepayers.
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