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Board narrows Eastern Pasco well‑field study to fresh groundwater; approves stepwise brackish review 6‑2
Summary
Tampa Bay Water approved a scope change for the Eastern Pasco feasibility study that prioritizes fresh groundwater testing now and defers full brackish treatment study to a later step, a move staff said reduces near‑term cost by about $6 million.
The board voted 6‑2 on April 21 to revise the scope of the Eastern Pasco well field feasibility study to emphasize fresh groundwater development and to adopt a stepwise approach to evaluating brackish groundwater.
Senior Project Manager Danielle Kersey told the board the original scope included fresh and brackish test and monitoring wells, a deep core hole to characterize aquifers, aquifer testing and conceptual treatment designs. Kersey said the agency will now focus on the fresh groundwater component needed to meet expected 2033 demands while collecting geologic and water‑quality samples to inform any later brackish‑water study.
Kersey said the refined scope reduces project costs by nearly $6,000,000 and preserves the option to study reverse‑osmosis brackish treatment later if data from the core hole justify that work. She estimated a potential yield of 3 to 9 million gallons per day from fresh or blended lower‑Floridan sources and outlined a schedule that begins coring within the next two months, completes test wells and modeling in 2026, and returns a recommendation on next‑stage water supplies in late 2027.
Nut graf: The board backed a narrower, lower‑cost near‑term study that preserves the option to evaluate deeper brackish resources later, while opponents expressed preference for alternatives including surface‑water reservoirs.
Public correspondence and at least one speaker raised concerns that test pumping in Pasco might affect private wells, springs or wetlands. Warren Hogg and project staff responded that the activity planned is limited test pumping and coring; Hogg said the work does not include injection or disposal into the aquifer and staff do not expect short‑term test pumping at a single site to cause the regional effects described in the submitted public letter.
The motion to refine scope was approved 6‑2. Staff will proceed with coring and freshwater test‑well work while retaining sampling data to determine whether a deeper brackish investigation is warranted for demands beyond 2033.
Ending: The feasibility program will continue through late 2026 with a recommendation for next water supply alternatives planned for late 2027.
