Tampa Bay Water Blog

Every five years, Tampa Bay Water’s performance is reviewed by an independent firm to take an unbiased, big‑picture look at how we’re performing. It’s part of our commitment to transparency—and way for our board of directors to ensure we’re continuously improving the way we serve our growing region. Unlike a financial audit, the performance audit looks at the activities performed by the agency and reviews the performance in comparison with organizations of similar size and type. 

Baker Tilly, the independent auditor, recently completed our 2020–2025 Performance and Management Audit, and the results found Tampa Bay Water to be a high-functioning organization with strong leadership, dedicated employees and a solid operational foundation built on collaboration, communication and accountability. 

What the Audit Showed 

The independent review confirmed what many in our community already know: Tampa Bay Water is a forward‑thinking utility with a clear commitment to delivering safe, reliable drinking water. 

A few standout strengths from the report include: 

• A highly functioning, collaborative organization
  Staff, leadership and member government representatives consistently described the agency as transparent, team‑oriented and focused on doing what’s right for the region. 
• Strong technical and operational expertise
  Our long‑term planning, emergency preparedness and overall reliability continue to be recognized as core strengths. 
• Dedicated employees who go above and beyond
  The audit highlighted the passion and professionalism of the Tampa Bay Water team—something we’re proud of every day. 

The audit also outlined opportunities to support our workforce and prepare for the future as our region grows, including strengthening staffing depth, modernizing some technology systems and continuing to expand training and leadership development. These are natural steps for an agency evolving alongside the communities we serve. 

What’s Next 

The report includes recommendations to help the agency continue delivering high‑quality service well into the future. They focus on building additional operational resilience, improving data integration, enhancing career pathways and further strengthening coordination with our member governments. None of these findings reflect instability—they reflect a healthy organization committed to a culture of continuous improvement. 

Audit recommendations will be included in the upcoming strategic plan update to ensure they are completed alongside other strategic initiatives. For a copy of the full report, please complete a public records request.