The Tampa Bay Water Board took a critical step forward in the effort to meet the region's future water needs by approving an agreement that provides land for the new South Hillsborough Wellfield.
The South Hillsborough Wellfield project was approved as the region’s next new water supply project in October 2025. It involves building a new fresh groundwater wellfield in a fast-growing area of the county and is projected to supply 6-12 million gallons per day (mgd) of high-quality drinking water as early as 2030.
“This agreement is the result of significant work and negotiations with Hillsborough County and is an important first step to build this much-needed new water supply project,” said Maribel Medina, planning and projects director for Tampa Bay Water.
Through the agreement approved in July, Tampa Bay Water will relinquish water supply development rights on the Lower Green Swamp Preserve in northern Hillsborough County, in exchange for about five acres of easements within the Stacy R. White Nature Preserve in southern Hillsborough County. The agreement also calls for purchasing an additional nearly 5 acres of easements within the Hillsborough County Water Resources utility corridor from the County for approximately $66,000. The agreement will go before the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners in August. If approved, it will support the long-term conservation of the Lower Green Swamp while providing the necessary easements and property to build the South Hillsborough Wellfield.
At full buildout, the wellfield will have eight production wells, four miles of collector main, a groundwater ozone treatment facility, and point-of-connection and metering facilities spread across three properties. Wells 1-4 will be located on the Stacy R. White Nature Preserve. Wells 6-8 and the water treatment facility will be located on Hillsborough County Water Resources property, and Well 5, our existing test well, is located on a Southfork Community Development District parcel. Construction of the wellfield requires property rights and easements from several stakeholders for the collection lines and about 40 acres of property from Hillsborough County for the treatment facility and point of connection.
