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21Oct
New Water Supply Project Moves Forward to Serve Tampa Bay Region - Tampa Bay Water Board Approves South Hillsborough Wellfield
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News Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brandon Moore
bmoore@tampabaywater.org
(727) 791-2304 

CLEARWATER, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2025) – At its Oct. 20, 2025, meeting, Tampa Bay Water’s board of directors approved the South Hillsborough Wellfield as the next new water supply project to serve the region. The new wellfield is projected to supply 6-12 million gallons per day (mgd) of high-quality drinking water as early as 2030.

The South Hillsborough Wellfield project has been studied extensively since it was shortlisted in the agency’s 2018 Long-term Master Water Plan. Tampa Bay Water completed feasibility studies in 2021 and 2023 that showed the project is cost-effective, sustainable and technically feasible.

“The wellfield is affordable, environmentally sound and is located where we need water in the fast-growing southern part of Hillsborough County,” said Maribel Medina, planning and projects director for Tampa Bay Water.

Tampa Bay Water’s studies show that the aquifer in this area is highly productive with high-quality drinking water. Modeling shows that proposed withdrawals will have no adverse impacts to the environment or other existing well users.

Tampa Bay Water has acquired water use permits in the area from landowners who no longer need them, which could yield 3.9-5.9 mgd toward the South Hillsborough Wellfield. An additional 6.1 mgd may be available if Tampa Bay Water and Hillsborough County reach a long-term agreement on credits available via Hillsborough County’s aquifer recharge program.

The South Hillsborough Wellfield project is in the Balm area, near the end point for the South Hillsborough Pipeline and near Hillsborough County’s new water treatment facility.

The wellfield will include up to eight production wells, four miles of pipeline, and groundwater treatment facilities with ozone treatment for hydrogen sulfide removal. Construction could begin as early as 2028, and the wellfield could begin supplying water to the region as soon as 2030.

The Tampa Bay region is projected to need up to 38 mgd in new water supply by 2043; 10 to 12 mgd of that will be online by 2028 with the expansion of the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant.

For more information about the South Hillsborough Wellfield, please visit TampaBayWater.org/SHW.