(UI) — The Corpus Christi City Council has approved two major water supply agreements totaling more than $170 million to expand the city’s immediate and long-term water resources.

At its Oct. 21 meeting, the council authorized a $169.5 million groundwater purchase and sale agreement with Evangeline/Laguna, LP, along with related agreements with the City of Sinton and the St. Paul Water Supply Corporation.

The deal includes the purchase of 24 million gallons per day (MMg/d) of groundwater rights, with the first 12 MMg/d expected online by November 2026. The Evangeline Project, which has been in planning for decades, now moves into the design and construction phase. Pre-engineering and hydrogeologic modeling are already underway to support well field design and integration with the Mary Rhodes Pipeline system.

In a separate vote, the council approved a $2.7 million agreement with the Nueces River Authority (NRA) to reserve 50 MMg/d of desalinated water from the proposed Harbor Island Seawater Desalination Plant once it becomes operational.

The NRA’s “New Water for South Texas Plan” envisions a 100 MMg/d regional seawater desalination facility and pipeline network to serve multiple cities and water districts across South Texas — a project that aligns with recent legislative priorities for large-scale regional water infrastructure.

Together, the two measures strengthen Corpus Christi’s long-term strategy to secure a sustainable and diversified water supply for future growth.