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- Tampa Bay Water was created in 1998 after a two-year governance
process that culminated in contracts and legislation that
changed the name, structure and operations of the West Coast
Regional Water Supply Authority.
- Tampa Bay Water was formed as a true regional utility,
where all members pay the same price for water and water is
provided from a diverse network of sources.
- The
creation of Tampa Bay Water eliminated the economic competition,
parochialism and other factors that fueled the region's "water
wars."
- The Governance contracts included development of the Master
Water Plan and also specified water quality parameters that
the agency must meet for water delivered to our customers.
- Tampa Bay Water was fully implemented on October 1, 1998,
when each member government transferred its water supply facilities
to Tampa Bay Water and waived its right to individually develop
water supply facilities.
- Since then, Tampa Bay Water has been the sole and exclusive
water provider to Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Pinellas
County, New Port Richey and St. Petersburg. The City of Tampa retained its Hillsborough River water supply and is sometimes served by Tampa Bay Water.
- With Governance, our Board of Directors expanded from six
to nine members.
- The cost of developing new water supplies is shared
regionally instead of by those member governments facing proposed
reductions in permitted supply or rapid population growth.
- The Interlocal Agreement requires Tampa Bay Water and member
governments to resolve their differences over permitting and
other issues using alternative dispute resolution, such as
peer review, mediation and binding arbitration, to minimize
the potential for litigation.
- Tampa Bay Water and the Southwest Florida Water Management
District reached a Partnership Agreement whereby the District
earmarked $183 million in locally collected ad valorem taxes
to help fund alternatives to groundwater.
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