Planning for the future is an on-going process at Tampa Bay Water that includes more than potential new supplies. Our long-term planning process includes analyses of future demand, conservation potential, supply reliability, water shortage mitigation planning and hydrologic uncertainty – all wrapped up in the Long-term Master Water Plan planning process.
This 20-year plan is a framework for meeting the region’s future drinking water needs. The Long-term Master Water Plan identifies future water needs and potential water supply projects that could be designed and built to meet those needs for the region. The plan, which was instated in 1998, is updated every five years; each update must be approved by the agency’s board of directors. The most recent update was completed in December 2018.
The table below describes the following graph.
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Tampa Bay Water Master Water Plan Update
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| When to Build
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What to Build
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| Demand Forecasts
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New Water Supply Projects
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| Demand Management
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Optimize Existing Assets
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| Water Shortage Mitigation
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Delivery
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Public Input
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The planning process includes data from a comprehensive demand forecasting model that help us predict future water demands by analyzing water use data, weather, demographic and economic data. Our Demand Management Plan quantifies potential water savings from passive and active conservation efforts. Planning for dry times is also part of the process. Operational and supply uncertainty is forecasted and modeled, to help understand how to mitigate and manage that risk.
Altogether, these models and plans forecast how much water will be needed in the future and when, so we can plan new supplies at the right time to keep our region growing and thriving.