(NewsNation) — Corpus Christi, one of Texas’s largest cities, is fueling the nation’s energy boom, but it’s now running dangerously low on water due to huge energy plants hoarding the supply.
Companies, such as Tesla and ExxonMobil, along with refineries in the region, have been drawing heavily from the city’s shrinking water reserves. It’s a strain that officials warn could leave Corpus Christi without water by late next year, triggering emergency declarations.
It comes after years of worsening drought and soaring industrial demand and has led the Corpus Christi City Council to scrap a controversial $1.2 billion Inner Harbor desalination project. Leaders cited skyrocketing costs and environmental concerns for halting work on the plant.
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Energy plant consumes 13% of Corpus Christi’s water supply
With Stage 3 drought restrictions now in effect and reservoir levels dropping, the 500,000 residents are being urged to reduce their water usage.
Exxon and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. operate a $7 billion plastics facility in the city, which uses about 13 million gallons of water daily, a person familiar with the operations told The Wall Street Journal.
That accounts for about 13% of all of Corpus Christi’s water supply, Drew Molly, former CEO of the city’s water utility, told the outlet.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the desalination plant was designed to take seawater from the Gulf of Mexico and turn it into 36 million gallons of potable drinking water by 2028.
Initially, the introduction of the plant was intended to buy the city some time, but with the addition of monstrous facilities and financial failures, it may not be enough.
The city obtained permits for $757 million in low-interest loans from the state of Texas for the plant. Still, the entire plan was halted in September when the estimated cost rose to approximately $1.2 billion.
Corpus Christi City Council at odds finding a solution
While most community members are in favor of desalination, council members remain divided on how to secure a long-term solution.
“Some of the council doesn’t have confidence in this initiative, but in my opinion, we have the funding. We have all the permits,” said Corpus Christi City Council member Roland Barrera. “I think part of it is the opposition from environmental groups, in addition to the competing projects, that council members feel that they may be able to provide a different solution, even though they’re not permanent.”
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“The water situation in South Texas is about as dire as he’s ever seen it. It has all the energy in the world, and it doesn’t have water,” said Mike Howard, the chief executive of Howard Energy Partners.
Officials say the city could be completely tapped out within 19 months if no new plan is implemented.
