Redeveloping A Public Supply
A system of active, dispersed public water supply wells existed in the Brandon area from the early 1960s until 1988, when it was replaced by the South-Central Hillsborough Regional Wellfield. At one time, the Brandon area production wells were permitted for average annual and peak daily quantities of 13 and 24 million gallons per day.
In 1996, Tampa Bay Water began studying the feasibility of redeveloping several of the Brandon existing wells and well sites. We also looked at the possibility of developing new dispersed production well sites in the area.
Configuration I of the Master Water Plan included a variety of non-traditional water sources, such as seawater desalination and surface water, as well as the addition of a small amount of new groundwater. Of the water to be generated from Configuration I, less than 7 percent comes from groundwater.
Groundwater can be safety developed for public supply. It is important because it adds diversity to the system, and because it is less expensive than other sources and helps lower costs to the water user. Both of these are important criteria. Studies showed that small quantities of groundwater can be responsibly harvested and added to the regional system to help keep the cost of water affordable.
Groundwater development practices have changed greatly in the past 20 years. The large water ranches of past decades that have been blamed for environmental damage in northwest Hillsborough County and Pasco County have given way to smaller, dispersed wells that can provide safe yields of new water to the region. Tampa Bay Water has carefully planned the Brandon Urban Dispersed Wells project so it will be environmentally responsible.
Brandon Recreational Center off Kingsway near wellhouse #4
First, because dispersed water supply wells were actively used in Brandon for many years, extensive data upon which to base models and tests already existed. A great deal of informtion about the hydrology and ecology of the Brandon area were factored into the project's development.
In addition, today's technological advances provide far better tools than ever before to predict the effects of groundwater withdrawals. Modern technology also allows us to more quickly and easily identify any measurable changes in the environment after the system is redeveloped.
All of these technologies and data came together in an extensive aquifer and wetland monitoring program that help ensure that the project does not harm the area's natural resources.
In addition, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the regional water regulator, applied much stricter permitting standards to groundwater sources than in the past. Together, these factors mean that the Brandon Urban Dispersed Wells project is able to produce small quantities of water without harming the environment or significantly affecting surrounding private wells.
During the first stage of this project, which ended in 1998, project scientists and engineers extensively studied the area. The purpose of these studies was to determine whether the project was technically feasible and if the redevelopment of the well sites would have any effect on the ecology or hydrology of the area.
Activities during this stage included preliminary data collection and analysis, hydrological modeling, environmental assessments and preliminary design.
Public involvement activities were also undertaken in this phase. Details of the project's public participation program, which drove the selection of well sites used in this project, can be found in the Public Input section.
After more than 30 former well sites were examined and considered, seven wells were originally specified.
Former Well Sites Considered for Project.
In November 1998, Tampa Bay Water's Board of Directors approved the project as part of its Master Water Plan and authorized work to begin on Stage B of the project.
This stage included the final design of the new and existing wells, design of a transmission line to the regional groundwater treatment plant, collection of additional water level data and the design of well houses. Surveying and land acquisition for the water collection system were also conducted.
Based on concerns of area residents about two of the seven sites specified in Stage A, Tampa Bay Water agreed during arbitration discussions with Hillsborough County to reduce the number of sites to five. Those five sites produce an average of 6 mgd annually, with a peak quantity of 9.24 mgd.
Most of the wells were designed to be approximately 400 feet deep, although one well was designed to be about 600 feet deep.
The wellhead, electronics and pumping equipment for each well is contained in a small building. Appropriate buffers, landscaping and setbacks ensure the well houses are aesthetically pleasing.
As part of the project's public participation program, well house design options were presented to the surrounding neighborhood. Neighborhood input on the design was used to pick the new design for the exterior look of the well houses to ensure that they fit nicely into their surroundings.
