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News Release

For Immediate Release

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

CLEARWATER, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2022) – At its Aug. 15, 2022, meeting, Tampa Bay Water’s board of directors approved expanding the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant to meet the region’s water needs in 2028.

"Today’s board action is the culmination of years of studies and analyses," said Chuck Carden, Tampa Bay Water general manager. "With today’s board action, we can focus our energies on ensuring the region’s future drinking water supply."

Tampa Bay Water’s next step is to begin procurement for the expansion project. Through the utility’s Long-term Master Water Plan, Tampa Bay Water evaluated three potential water treatment expansion options to meet the region’s needs in 2028: expanding the existing Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant, building a second surface water treatment plant near the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, or expanding the Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant. The options were evaluated and scored against board-approved selection criteria, including cost, sustainability and reliability. Expanding the existing surface water treatment plant received the highest overall score among the three options.

The Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant came online in 2002 and was designed for future expansion. In 2011, the plant was expanded from a maximum rated capacity of 72 million gallons per day (mgd) to 120 mgd. The expansion increases the plant’s average production by 10 mgd to 12.5 mgd to the region by 2028. The anticipated expansion cost is approximately $91 million with a cost per thousand gallons of approximately $1.44.

Tampa Bay Water’s Long-term Master Water Plan is a 20-year framework for meeting the region’s future drinking water needs. Updated every five years, the plan involves feasibility studies for new water projects, one or more of which are chosen by the board to build. Today’s vote on the expansion project closes the 2018 planning cycle.

Planning is an ongoing process and the board today also approved work, to begin immediately, on the next Long-term Master Water Plan update. The update goes to the board for approval in late 2023.

About Tampa Bay Water

Tampa Bay Water is the largest wholesale water supplier in Florida, providing high-quality drinking water to its members, who in turn, supply water to more than 2.5 million residents of the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Water member governments include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. To learn more, visit tampabaywater.org.