News Releases

18Jun
Tampa Bay Water Celebrates Eight Consecutive Years of Stable Water Rates
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MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brandon Moore
bmoore@tampabaywater.org
727-791-2304 | 727-470-0702

Marq Caughell
mcaughell@tampabaywater.org
Office: 727-791-2315

CLEARWATER, Fla. (June 18, 2018) – Tampa Bay Water’s board of directors marked the agency’s 20thanniversary with a respectful nod to the monumental efforts of those involved in creating Florida’s largest regional water utility and celebrated the agency’s dedication to delivering high-quality, affordable drinking water to the people of the Tampa Bay area. For eight consecutive years, Tampa Bay Water has kept its wholesale drinking water rate consistent at $2.56 per 1,000 gallons.

“Water is one of our most precious resources, and ensuring that clean, safe drinking water is available and affordable to the people we serve is at the core of our mission,” said Christina Sackett, Tampa Bay Water’s chief financial officer. “We are extremely proud to celebrate 20 years as a model of regional collaboration and eight straight years of stable water rates for our members.”

The projected water delivery to Tampa Bay Water’s member governments in 2019 is 178.5 million gallons per day (mgd). Before Tampa Bay Water’s creation, the region was completely dependent on groundwater to meet its growing needs. With the infrastructure built over the past 20 years, the agency is planning to meet the area’s water needs for the coming year with a blend of its diverse water sources, including:

  • 108.7 mgd of groundwater
  • 60.8 mgd of surface water
  • 9 mgd of desalinated seawater

Tampa Bay Water is projecting a 6.3 million gallon per day increase in regional water demand, 9.6 percent more than 2018. The increased demand provides the revenue to offset the additional $10.2 million needed to cover increased fixed and variable costs. This includes adding $3 million to the agency’s pay-as-you-go fund to cover capital improvement projects, and renewal and replacement projects. Pay-as-you-go funds reduce the need to issue debt, which saves the agency millions in future interest expenses and helps protect ratepayers.

Tampa Bay Water’s financial structure is maintained through the sale of water to its member governments. The agency’s capital and operating costs are set at a uniform rate that all six member governments share. The agency is using $1.2 million from its rate stabilization account for 2019 to help maintain the wholesale drinking water rate.

In addition to meeting the drinking water needs of today, Tampa Bay Water continues to plan for the next 20 years of growth and development across the Tampa Bay area. To learn more about the future of drinking water for the region, visit tampabaywater.org/future-sources.

About Tampa Bay Water

Created in 1998 as a true regional water utility, Tampa Bay Water is the largest wholesale water supplier in Florida. Due to the foresight of state and local leaders, it is able to provide high-quality drinking water for more than 2.5 million residents of the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Water is the result of collaboration among its member governments, which include the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa, and the counties of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas. For more information, visit tampabaywater.org.