The Tampa Bay area is growing, and Tampa Bay Water is making progress on three projects to meet its mandate of providing clean drinking water to the region.
South Hillsborough Wellfield
In August, Tampa Bay Water’s board awarded Stantec Consulting Services $14.3 million for professional engineering services on the 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.
Surface Water Treatment Plant Expansion and Technology Upgrades
The Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant is the heart of the enhanced surface water system. It began operating in 2002 and is designed to provide an average of up to 90 mgd and a maximum of 120 mgd of high-quality drinking water to the region from the Alafia River, Hillsborough River and the Tampa Bypass Canal.
The expansion project will increase water supply capacity by up to 12.5 mgd by adding a fifth treatment process train and upgrading key systems. Construction is progressing with ground reinforcement completed underneath the area that will hold the fifth treatment train. Belt filters have been set in place, and chemical building tanks are being formed and tested. Construction is 10% complete, and spending is aligned at 20% of the total $167 million budget.
Separately, the plant will receive upgrades to its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system hardware and software. In August, Tampa Bay Water’s board approved a contract amendment with Veolia Water North America for approximately $20.4 million to support the construction phase of the project. The upgrade will modernize SCADA system assets, enhance monitoring and control capabilities, improve system reliability and performance and strengthen cybersecurity and integration with other systems.
South Hillsborough Pipeline
The South Hillsborough Pipeline will carry up to 65 mgd from Tampa Bay Water’s Regional Facilities Site to Hillsborough County at Lithia and Balm by the end of 2028 to meet the county’s growing water needs.
The project is making steady progress, with construction underway across multiple locations and the fourth and final guaranteed maximum price package totaling approximately $53.65 million now approved.
The final package includes an alkalinity adjustment facility, Hillsborough County infrastructure and points of connection for the Regional Facilities site and the county’s Lithia Water Treatment Plant and the new Balm Water Campus. Tampa Bay Water’s share is approximately $38.8 million, while Hillsborough County’s share is approximately $14.8 million. A portion of the points-of-connection costs is reimbursable by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
Crews have completed four tunnels, including the Lakewood microtunnel carrier pipe installation. Crews also finished the Little Fishhawk Creek horizontal directional drill on July 19, marking the completion of both horizontal directional drill installations. The remaining trenchless work will use microtunnel installations.
Construction is about 8% complete based on linear feet of pipe installed, and spending is aligned at 20% of the total $461.2 million construction budget.
