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Tampa Bay Water reports stable reservoir and source mix as demands rise; desalination averages about 11.5 mgd
Summary
General Manager and staff reported that the regional system is in good shape with reservoir storage above projections, desalination averaging ~11.5 mgd, surface water use around 70 mgd, and groundwater use declining toward permit limits; the board was briefed on permits, monitoring and hurricane preparedness.
Tampa Bay Water’s general manager updated the board on the regional water supply, reporting stable system conditions as the utility enters the summer season.
General Manager Mr. Carden told the board that average deliveries in April were about 98.46 million gallons per day (mgd) and that system demand projections for FY2026 are 209.7 mgd. He reported the regional reservoir (Bill Young Reservoir) remained above seasonal projections: the April snapshot showed storage roughly 10.4 billion gallons (presentation indicated around 11 billion in April; staff clarified the number was approximately 10.4B at the time of the briefing), which staff said is several billion gallons above the orange projection line used in planning.
Staff said the surface water treatment plant ran about 70 mgd primarily from the reservoir while the desalination facility averaged about 11.5 mgd, and groundwater supplied the remainder of the system. The consolidated water‑use permit for the combined 10 well fields has a limit of 90 mgd; the April track showed about 83.55 mgd and staff reported current daily usage nearer 79 mgd as groundwater use trends downward. A separate South Central Hillsborough regional well‑field permit limit is 24.95 mgd; staff reported recent tracking slightly above that limit in April (25.46 mgd), but noted an acquired permit increase was in process that could raise permitted capacity to about 26.92 mgd pending district approval.
On PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances), staff said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced recent proposed changes to PFAS levels but that the agency expects the 4 parts per trillion (ppt) level for PFOA and PFOS to remain in place and that EPA rulemaking and comment periods will take time. Staff said the agency is drafting recommendations for the board and monitoring both rulemaking and litigation; consultants later noted there is no indication rulemaking to date would alter the agency’s litigation claims.
The general manager described hurricane preparedness actions, lessons learned from the 2024 season, generator maintenance, MOUs with third‑party generator owners, NIMS training and coordination with member governments and emergency management partners. He also summarized internal strategic‑plan work including a recent SWOT analysis that will help frame near‑term planning.
Board members asked about the Bill Young Reservoir contribution to surface water totals and relative costs of different supply sources; staff said they would provide follow‑up detail on how much of the surface water supply comes specifically from Bill Young Reservoir and the relative unit costs for groundwater, surface water and desal: staff indicated current approximate unit ranges were groundwater near $1 per thousand gallons, surface water $2–$2.50 per thousand, and desalination approaching $5 per thousand gallons (per thousand gallons figures approximate and described as presentation ranges).
