CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS - MAY 07: Monna Lytle, 70, speakes while standing for a portrait in an area designated for a future desalination plant in her childhood neighborhood of Hillcrest on May 07, 2026 in Corpus Christi, Texas. "This area was the first that allowed Blacks to have a home, and I want you to know that here in Hillcrest, we gone fight to the end... All we're saying is that we need water, we need water to live, but don't put it in a neighborhood that's already been neglected by the city for decades," said Lytle. Corpus Christi City Council has voted to begin preliminary discussions on building a desalination facility for the Coastal Bend region as the city faces a looming water crisis driven by rising temperatures, prolonged drought conditions, and increasing demand from local oil refineries. If city leaders are unable to secure a workable long-term solution—such as drilling additional groundwater wells or moving forward with desalination projects—Corpus Christi could declare an unprecedented Level 1 water emergency by September of 2026. Such a declaration would require a 25 percent reduction in water usage for both residents and industrial users, including refineries. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)