The newest infrastructure arriving at Starbase, Texas, isn’t a launch pad or rocket booster—it’s a water pipeline. Stretching from Brownsville to the newly incorporated city of Starbase, this pipeline will replace the truck-hauled deliveries SpaceX has relied on to supply potable water to its employees and residents on-site.
Mark Dombroski, COO of Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB), confirmed that a contract has been executed with SpaceX to provide water as an in-city customer. The contract was approved by BPUB in early June, allowing SpaceX to be treated as a nonresidential in-city customer, which qualifies them for a cheaper rate.
Under this agreement, SpaceX will pay for extending the pipeline to a metering point within Starbase city limits, as well as for improvements needed to deliver water to that meter. The company will then transport the water internally to Starbase. The timing of the pipeline’s activation depends largely on SpaceX’s construction schedule.
Water Access Challenges for Non-SpaceX Residents
While the pipeline solves near-term water scarcity for SpaceX employees and families, access for non-SpaceX-affiliated homes along the route may come with conditions.
In July, nearly 40 properties between Brownsville and Boca Chica lost county water service, previously provided by Cameron County as a “courtesy.” Cameron County now insists it is Starbase’s responsibility to provide water. Starbase city administrator Kent Myers disagrees, stating the city neither has legal authority nor operational capacity to deliver water to these residents.
Reports indicate SpaceX has offered these residents an “unconditional and perpetual agreement” to access Starbase’s water and sewer systems, in exchange for consent to be relocated for any launch or testing operations. This agreement absolves SpaceX of obligations to provide water quality, volume, or legal recourse.
Starbase as a Company-Controlled City
Starbase, incorporated in May and governed by SpaceX executives, is a unique municipal entity adjacent to SpaceX’s South Texas launch site. Of the 247 lots within city boundaries, only 10 are not owned by SpaceX.
The city does not provide utility services; instead, SpaceX operates a state-regulated drinking water system featuring a large storage tank, pumps, and other equipment. This system currently serves 239 residential meters, which may represent multiple units.
Without a Texas Public Utility Commission Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), SpaceX is under no obligation to serve non-SpaceX customers. Any water connections outside SpaceX’s employees are subject to the company’s approval and terms.
Author’s Opinion
The water infrastructure at Starbase reveals the complexities of a company town in the 21st century. While SpaceX’s investment addresses immediate needs for its workforce, it also underscores the limits of public access and municipal responsibility. The arrangement effectively makes essential services like water contingent on corporate discretion, raising questions about equity and governance. As company towns evolve, balancing corporate control with residents’ rights will be a critical challenge.
Featured image credit: ANIRUDH via Unsplash
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