HomeMy WebLinkAbout030252 RES - 08/12/2014 RESOLUTION
Recommend the 84th Texas Legislature appropriate adequate funding for the Fiscal Years 2016-
2017 biennium for the State of Texas to partner with local project sponsors to implement one or
more seawater desalination projects to provide uninterruptible water supply and have
corresponding positive impacts for water supplies in adjacent regions which will strengthen
Texas' economy and sustain economic prosperity.
WHEREAS, Texas is experiencing what could be a new drought of record and many regions of the State
of Texas lack water supplies to support its thriving economy and growing population; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2012 State Water Plan, in a serious drought, Texas does not and will not
have enough water to meet the needs of its people, its businesses, and its agricultural enterprises; and
WHEREAS, it has been 12 years since Governor Rick Perry tasked the Texas Water Development
Board(TWDB) with developing a proposal to build Texas' first large-scale seawater desalination plant
to produce drinking water and more than a decade since the passage of House Bill 1370 directing
TWDB to research what was needed to advance the development of cost-effective water supplies from
seawater desalination in Texas.
WHEREAS, to date, the TWDB has funded 17 brackish groundwater desalination projects for a total of
about $3.05 million, and 10 seawater desalination projects for a total of approximately$3.55 million
and, so far, there are 46 inland public water supply desalination plants operating in Texas,but zero
seawater desalination plants; and
WHEREAS, in the 2012 State Water Plan, four regional water planning groups (Regions H, L, M, and
N) recommended seawater desalination as one of the water management strategies that would produce
153,514 acre-feet per year of new water supplies by 2060 and project that those strategies would
represent 1.7% of all the new supplies in the state; and
WHEREAS, current statutes do not limit or restrict implementation of seawater desalination projects,
but the lack of state funding for large scale seawater desalination projects limits the affordability of the
project placing the entire financial burden on the local project sponsor, which is typically a municipality.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,that the City of Corpus Christi, hereby recommend the 84th
Texas Legislature appropriate adequate funding for the Fiscal Years 2016-2017 biennium for the State
of Texas to invest grant dollars (not loans) to partner with local project sponsors on one or more large
scale seawater desalination projects to provide uninterruptible water supply and have corresponding
positive impacts for water supplies in adjacent regions which will strengthen Texas' economy and
sustain economic prosperity.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Corpus Christi,hereby recommend that the Texas
Municipal League (TML) adopt a resolution at the 2014 TML Annual Conference in Houston
recommending the introduction and passage of the General Appropriations Act for FYs 2016-2017 that
includes grant funding assistance to local project sponsors to implement one or more seawater
desalination projects to provide uninterruptible water supply and have corresponding positive impacts
for water supplies in adjacent regions which will strengthen Texas' economy and sustain economic
prosperity.
This resolution takes effect upon City Council approval on this the day of 2014.
030252
ATTEST: THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Rebecca Huerta Nelda Martinez
City Secretary Mayor
Corpus Christi, Texas
The above resolution was passed by the following vote:
Nelda Martinez
Kelley Allen
Rudy Garza
Priscilla Leal
David Loeb
Chad Magill
Colleen McIntyre
Lillian Riojas
Mark Scott
COzzAd-
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