As demand for water increases in southern Hillsborough County, Tampa Bay Water has implemented a multi-pronged approach to meet demand.
Later this year, Tampa Bay Water staff plan to request board approval to move forward with the South Hillsborough Wellfield. This is a new water supply project that was shortlisted in the 2018 and 2023 Long-term Master Water Plan updates and has already been deemed feasible through studies that included two aquifer performance tests.
The wellfield would be located in the Balm area and could provide 6-12 mgd of new water to the region using acquired water permits that are no longer needed by area landowners. The permits total 3.9-5.9 million gallons per day, depending on determinations to be made by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Tampa Bay Water plans to supplement the acquired permits by purchasing groundwater credits from Hillsborough County, and staff are working with the county toward a long-term agreement.
Other improvements and expansions in infrastructure, like the Brandon Booster Station, have helped deliver more water to the area while conservation efforts, such as Tampa Bay Water Wise rebates and watering restrictions, have helped curb water use. Temporary increases in the permitted limits for the South-central Hillsborough Regional Wellfield and additional, acquired permit quantities for the wellfield are delivering more water to the area. And the South Hillsborough Pipeline, which will deliver up to an additional 65 million gallons of water per day (mgd) when completed in 2028, is currently scheduled to begin construction this fall.
