The city of Corpus Christi is considering another water desalination site. Here's where it is.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to show that Corpus Christi's water department is known as Corpus Christi Water.

A third water desalination site is being studied by the city of Corpus Christi, with preliminary conclusions and data expected in the upcoming weeks.

The proposal would develop a plant capable of generating 20 million gallons of water per day in the Barney Davis Power Plant area, near Flour Bluff.

If the city were to ultimately move forward with the location, the facility would serve as a supplemental water source — not a replacement — to large-scale desalination projects the city is pursuing at sites on La Quinta Channel and the Inner Harbor, said Michael Murphy, the chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water.

Ongoing assessment of the site — the Barney Davis Power Plant area, near Flour Bluff — is expected to include review of environmental impacts, conceptual designs, water rate models and distribution costs, according to a presentation given to the City Council on Tuesday.

Under the proposal, Talen Energy would lease property near the power plant to the city for development of a desalination plant, Murphy told the Caller-Times.

The company approached the city about three months ago, he said.

The Barney Davis site is a “pretty intriguing option for us,” said City Councilman Dan Suckley.

“On the surface, there's some things that look like could be beneficial to us — not only from possibly the cost, but also in terms of maybe moving along quicker than maybe some of the other sites we've looked at,” he said.

The study’s findings will help inform discussions on how — or if — the Barney Davis site would fit into the city’s overall plan, officials said.

Part of what needs to be taken into account are existing water permits held by Talen Energy for the power plant, Murphy said.

“We've got to keep in consideration … that we do not jeopardize those permits in any shape, form or fashion,” Murphy said. “So we're having to be very cautious how we negotiate or navigate through that process.”

Possibilities of brine discharge points would include holding ponds adjacent to the plant, the nearby Laguna Madre or about 2 1/2 to 3 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, Murphy said.

City officials have been pursuing desalination in earnest for at least the last five years — and facilities on the Inner Harbor and La Quinta Channel, specifically, for at least two.

Both sites have seen significant pushback from environmental advocates, who have expressed concerns about impacts to the habitat and marine life.

There have also been questions raised about bigger-picture items such as cost of the desalinated water, and who would be the beneficiary.

Criticism has been directed largely toward industrial corporations, whose facilities often use large volumes of water.

Errol Summerlin, a founding member of the Coastal Alliance to Protect our Environment, said late Tuesday that he was pleased the city was taking another look at the Barney Davis site, where there would be opportunities to minimize environmental concerns.

A key piece of that would be ensuring the design of the facilities themselves be as protective as possible of aquatic life, he added.

“The other two hurdles the council still needs to do address is the cost — it’s the most expensive alternate resource — and who gets the first drop of water,” Summerlin said.

The Barney Davis site study is being managed by HDR Engineering under a $49,000 contract.

A first draft of a technical memo is expected in the next few weeks, Murphy said.

Tuesday’s discussion falls on the heels of a contentious City Council meeting last week, in which the council voted for its staff to meet with the Port of Corpus Christi's staff and come up with a business framework outlining cooperative efforts between the entities for desalination development.

City Manager Peter Zanoni said Wednesday afternoon that he and port authority CEO Sean Strawbridge met last week, and are expected to talk again this week and next.

Part of the meeting last week was devoted to a tour of Harbor Island, he added.

Each entity has sought permitting for two sites; the port’s prospective locations are on Harbor Island and a site separate from the city’s on La Quinta Channel.

The port is not involved with the Barney Davis proposal.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued the city a water rights permit for its Inner Harbor site and, for the port, a wastewater discharge permit for its Harbor Island site.

However, neither the port nor the city is currently in position to proceed with any of their chosen sites. Each potential desalination location requires two permits, one for wastewater discharge and the other for water rights.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: City of Corpus Christi is considering another desal site: What to know