The Port of Corpus Christi received approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for its requested offshore discharge permit, thereby completing permitting for the proposed large-scale Harbor Island Desalination Facility.
Upon receipt of the permit for offshore discharge into the Gulf, the Port will take action to withdraw its smaller nearshore discharge permit received in late 2022 – a condition outlined in a resolution approved by Port Commission in May 2025.
“The Port of Corpus Christi initiated the process to secure permits for a proposed desalination facility on Harbor Island almost a decade ago, recognizing the increasingly critical need to establish a reliable, drought-resilient water supply for the region that would be significantly larger than otherwise contemplated,” said Kent Britton, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. “Through that process, we have engaged with the communities we serve and have addressed reasonable concerns for our local bay system by moving the plant intake and discharge offshore.”
Next steps for the project
The permits for the Harbor Island desalination facility now allow construction of a plant that will produce up to 100 million gallons per day of potable water for industrial and/or municipal use.
“As a landlord port, the Port’s role is to manage maritime infrastructure and lease land, while private companies develop, build and operate facilities on that land,” said Gabe Guerra, Port of Corpus Christi Commission Chairman. “This final step in permitting a desalination facility on Harbor Island is pivotal for our region’s search for a long-term solution to water supply challenges, and we look forward to our lessee, the Nueces River Authority (NRA), and their private partner, IDE Technologies, continuing to progress the project to help bring water security to the Coastal Bend and Texas.”
