Tampa Bay Water Blog

Water demand in south Hillsborough County continues to grow. The average 12-month demand in southern Hillsborough grew by 4 million gallons per day (mgd) to 56.3 mgd through June 2023.

In mid-June, Hillsborough County made improvements to its distribution system that increased the amount of water the county could take  at its Central Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant by 2-4 mgd. Tampa Bay Water is able to send 19 mgd to the County’s central plant, but prior to these improvements, the County could accept only 10 mgd due to high pressure issues in its Brandon distribution system. With these system improvements, the plant has increased its intake to 12-14 mgd.

Other projects Tampa Bay Water has underway to deliver more water to Hillsborough include:

• The Brandon Booster Station is nearly complete and scheduled to be online by late summer 2023. Temporary pumps began sending an additional 5 mgd of regional water in August 2022, and permanent pumps will deliver up to an additional 2 mgd to Hillsborough County’s Lithia Water Treatment Plant when complete.
• The South Hillsborough Wellfield Phase 1 would provide an additional 2.3 mgd directly to Hillsborough County’s southern service area by 2026. Tampa Bay Water drilled and tested a potential production well in south Hillsborough County in 2021 as part of a Master Water Plan feasibility study. Initial results from an updated aquifer test at this site support converting the well into a production well. Tampa Bay Water has applied for a water use permit for this new well.
• The South Hillsborough Pipeline will be approximately 26 miles long, up to 72 inches in diameter and will carry up to 65 mgd of additional drinking water to the southern Hillsborough service area when completed in 2028.