Next Steps
While the costs of desalination have dropped dramatically, the produced water typically has a price tag that is higher than water delivered from a conventional treatment plant. Ongoing financial assistance has been required for every seawater desal plant built and operated in the United States, primarily to cover energy costs.
The costs of building, operating, and maintaining a desalination plant are substantial. The Brownsville PUB is committed to continuing its investment in a secure water supply, but state participation also is needed to bring the plant on-line. The Legislature is being asked for financial assistance in the form of a $70 million grant and a $45 million low-interest loan.
Once the plant is operational, additional subsidies are unlikely, thanks in large part to creative approaches that will be implemented by the PUB to keep energy costs low. This will be the only seawater desalination plant operating in the U.S. without a subsidy.
Although there are many competing interests for state funding, none is more critical than water.
