Aqualia will take on the design, construction, and operation as part of a $175 million public investment program to strengthen the city’s water security
HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, April 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — • Aqualia will take on the design, construction, and operation of an emergency desalination plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, as part of a $175 million public investment program to strengthen the city’s water security
• The company will also operate the modular reverse osmosis plant for five years; the facility will be operational in less than one year, in response to a historic drought that has left the city’s reservoirs at just 7,8% of capacity
• The contract reinforces Aqualia’s presence in the North American market through its Texas operating platform, Municipal District Services (MDS), and reaffirms its position as a global leader in the full water cycle, as well as in engineering and large-scale treatment facilities
Aqualia, one of the world’s leading operators in the full water cycle, has signed a strategic contract with the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, for the imminent commissioning of a desalination plant that will urgently reinforce the city’s water security in the face of an unprecedented drought, as part of a public investment program of nearly $175 million.
The plan approved by the Corpus Christi City Council calls for installing a containerized brackish water desalination plant at the municipal O.N. Stevens facility, along with critical complementary infrastructure, including pipelines, storage, pumping stations, and discharge systems. These systems are included in the Western Well Field, a water infrastructure project designed to diversify water supply sources and reduce the system’s vulnerability to extreme scarcity events.
Aqualia will take responsibility for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and five-year operation of a Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO) plant with a treatment capacity of approximately 24 million gallons per day (MGD) and a drinking water production capacity of up to 21 MGD, which will be integrated into the municipal system through the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant.
Critical Infrastructure for Corpus Christi
The decision to advance this infrastructure comes at a particularly critical moment for Corpus Christi. Combined levels in the city’s main reservoirs, Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir, have declined significantly to approximately 9.5 percent of total capacity, prompting the activation of advanced water use restrictions and raising the risk of a formal water emergency declaration in the near term.
The project awarded to Aqualia will be developed on an accelerated schedule, allowing drinking water production to begin within the first year from the notice to proceed. Thanks to its modular, containerized design, the facility will be deployed in phases, combining rapidly deployable provisional units with the progressive construction of the permanent plant.
“Water resilience is becoming one of the great infrastructure challenges of this decade. Cities need solutions that combine speed of deployment, operational reliability, and a proven track record. That is precisely what Aqualia brings, the result of decades of work across multiple geographies and under widely varying water stress conditions.”
Jose Miguel Janices, Director of Aqualia for Europe and the Americas.
Modular Technology to Accelerate Commissioning
The plant is based on a standardized industrial architecture, with reverse osmosis systems housed in prefabricated, factory-tested containers, which significantly reduces execution timelines compared to a conventional facility.
In a first phase, portable provisional units will be installed with the capacity to generate approximately 4 MGD within 11 months from the contract start date. Capacity will then increase progressively until reaching the full 21 MGD production within 24 months.
In addition to its deployment speed, the solution stands out for its energy efficiency, with a competitive specific consumption rate for brackish water treatment, and for its operational flexibility, a key characteristic in contexts of high hydrological variability and sustained demographic growth.
The contract also includes the comprehensive operation and maintenance of the plant for the first five years, during which Aqualia will manage the facility and deliver an intensive training program for Corpus Christi Water staff, ensuring an orderly and autonomous transition at the end of the contract period.
U.S. operations will be carried out through Municipal District Services (MDS), Aqualia’s operating platform in Texas, which brings knowledge of the local regulatory environment, technical expertise, and a well-established track record in the management of municipal water and wastewater services.
A Strategic Milestone for Aqualia and for the City
For Aqualia, this contract reinforces its positioning in the North American market and consolidates its international leadership in the full water cycle, as well as in engineering and large-scale treatment facilities. For the City of Corpus Christi, the project represents a key milestone in its water planning, as it incorporates a supply source independent of weather conditions that protects both residents and a strategic economic fabric tied to the port, the energy industry, and urban growth.
About Aqualia
Aqualia is a leading international company in comprehensive water management, with operations in 19 countries serving 45 million people worldwide. The company specializes in desalination, advanced treatment technologies, water reuse, digital water infrastructure, and resilient systems, combining innovation with a solid capacity to execute complex projects.
Nominated as Water Company of the Year at this year’s Global Water Awards, Aqualia has extensive experience in desalination plants and water supply systems in high-water-stress environments, delivering solutions tailored to the specific needs of each territory.
About Municipal District Services (MDS)
Municipal District Services (MDS) is Aqualia’s subsidiary in the United States. The company combines local execution with global standards. Since 2007, MDS has provided comprehensive operations, maintenance, and infrastructure management services for water and wastewater systems serving districts and municipalities in the Houston metropolitan area and other Texas communities, ensuring safe, reliable service in compliance with applicable regulations in fast-growing environments.
For more Information:
www.aqualia.com
Media Contact:
Andrea Gomez — 832-858-5850 / andrea@andreagomez.tv
Erika Abboud — 832-216-0122
marketing.usa@aqualia.com
Andrea Gomez
Andrea Gomez Communication LLC
+ +1 832-858-5850
andrea@andreagomez.tv
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