When Tampa Bay Water was created in 1998, we were tasked with building innovative, alternative water supply sources to meet the region’s needs in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. Co-funding from the Southwest Florida Water Management District helped make this task affordable, beginning with the first Master Water Plan Configuration, which was completed in 2005, adding surface water and seawater to our regional water supply mix.
Over the course of the last 25 years, Tampa Bay Water has received approximately $473 million in co-funding from the District for alternative water supply capital projects, feasibility studies and other agency projects and programs. For Fiscal Year 2025, Tampa Bay Water is requesting District funding to support the South Hillsborough Pipeline project.
The South Hillsborough Pipeline is a new pipeline currently in design that will bring much-needed alternative water supplies to growing southern Hillsborough County. The 26-mile-long pipeline will be up to 66 inches in diameter and deliver water to the Lithia Water Treatment Plan and a new Hillsborough County point of connection in the Balm-Riverview area when complete in 2028. The project qualifies for up to $145 million in co-funding from the District. Tampa Bay Water has requested approximately $12.3 million in previous years and is requesting $3.5 million for Fiscal Year 2025.
