Deliveries of liquid oxygen around the state of Florida have improved and Tampa Bay Water is back to using ozone to remove hydrogen sulfide at its Lithia Facility.
Ozone, generated by combining electricity with oxygen, is one of the most powerful oxidants available in water treatment, destroying organic materials such as bacteria, viruses and hydrogen sulfide. On Aug. 26, 2021, Tampa Bay Water temporarily changed water treatment at the Lithia facility from ozone to sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as chlorine, because of a statewide liquid oxygen shortage.
Tampa Bay Water has increased production at the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant with the return of regular liquid oxygen deliveries and, likewise, the City of Tampa returned its David L. Tippin Surface Water Treatment Plant to ozone treatment.
