Providing the region’s more than 2.5 million customers with a high-quality, sustainable and reliable water supply is no easy task. In addition to researching and constructing new water supply projects, Tampa Bay Water must also maintain its current system to ensure you have water when you turn on your tap.
Currently, the agency has six projects in various stages of construction with a total budgeted construction cost of $53.8 million.
The Brandon Booster Station will deliver an additional 2 million gallons of water per day (mgd) to southern Hillsborough County when the permanent pumps are brought online. The permanent pump station was scheduled to start up in summer 2023; however, during startup testing, the project team found water damage in the electrical switchgear. Replacement parts have been ordered, but some parts have a long lead time, delaying the permanent pump startup, which is now anticipated for early 2024. Temporary pumps have been delivering an additional 5 mgd to southern Hillsborough County since August 2022 and will continue to do so until the permanent pumps are brough online.
The Eldridge-Wilde Wellfield Improvements project replaces pumps, motors, wellhouses and metering devices, installs underground and overhead power lines and repairs access roads at 24 well sites. Work continues on the first seven wells, which are in Hillsborough County. The wellfield was originally constructed between 1954 and 1970 and currently has 28 production wells in service across northern Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, supplying an average of 13 mgd of drinking water up to a maximum of 45 mgd.
The Cypress Bridge Wellfield Improvements project replaces the pumps and motors at 10 well sites and replaces standby generators at three well sites. Work has been completed on two wells. The wellfield, located in south-central Pasco and north-central Hillsborough counties, includes 10 production wells supplying an average of 11 mgd of drinking water up to a maximum of 40 mgd.
The Lake Bridge Water Treatment Plant Chemical Piping Replacement project replaces chemical piping, pumps and tanks inside the Lake Bridge Water Treatment Plant in addition to adding new chemical injection points to the existing piping. Work is scheduled to be completed in January. Located in northern Hillsborough County, this treatment plant trims and adjusts the water quality of approximately 8-13 mgd from the regional pipeline before it’s delivered to Pasco County’s water system. It also treats an average of 11.2 mgd of groundwater from the Cypress Bridge Wellfield.
The Tampa Bay Desalination Facility Intake Connection Improvements-Phase 2 is a design-build project that is just beginning the construction phase. It is the second of two construction projects to provide an additional seawater intake for the desalination facility, co-located with Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach. Phase 1, completed in 2021, consists of a new connection to TECO’s cooling water Tunnel 1 and an isolation valve. Phase 2 work will construct a new pump station and a 54-inch above-ground pipeline connecting Phase 1 to the existing seawater intake facility. The project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2024.
The High Service Pump Station Chemical Piping Replacement project is entering the construction phase. It replaces chemical piping, pumps, tanks and chemical injection points inside the pump station. Tampa Bay Water’s High Service Pump Station, which can pump up to 110 mgd, has been in service since August 2002.
