Tampa Bay Water reports reservoir full, desal plant restored and pipeline design progress

Tampa Bay Water General Manager Chuck Carden told the board the agency has delivered just shy of 200,000,000 gallons a day through the first three months of the fiscal year, about 2.6% less than the same period last year.

“Through the first three months of this fiscal year, we have delivered just shy of 200,000,000 gallons a day,” Carden said. He said below‑average rainfall in November and December was offset by rain from two storms and operations including reservoir withdrawals and releases. Carden reported the reservoir is now full: “As of today, we're about 15,300,000,000 in it. And so it's totally full at 15.5.”

Carden also updated the board on treatment assets. He said the desalination plant, which had been taken offline for replacement of five racks, produced almost 5,000,000 gallons a day in December and “as of today, all five racks are operational.” He noted the project was accelerated and finished roughly eight months ahead of the original schedule in the capital improvement plan.

On water production, Carden said the surface water treatment plant averaged about 100,000,000 gallons a day in December and was producing about 85,000,000 gallons a day at the time of the meeting. He briefed the board on wellfield averages and permit running averages and reported the 12‑month running average for the consolidated wellfield and for the South Hillsborough wellfield.

Carden gave a short update on water‑quality work: Tampa Bay Water is working with a consultant to wrap up PFOS sampling results and to reassess a total organic carbon (TOC) removal project that had been paused pending PFOS results. “When we treat for TOC removal, we could treat for PFOS using the same treatment,” Carden said, noting the two treatments have overlapping technology and economies of scale.

He also outlined budget timing for fiscal year 2026, saying departments have submitted budgets and staff will publish a draft, hold member‑staff briefings and schedule a workshop in April with a hoped‑for approval in May. Carden said the agency will conduct its five‑year performance and procurement audit this year.

Carden closed with community outreach notes: Tampa Bay Water received roughly $94,000 from the Lecuiche River Electric Cooperative, staff received a certificate for continuing disclosure reporting for municipal bonds, and the agency has been holding public meetings on the South Hillsborough pipeline route (three of seven public meetings complete). He said staff will present the consultant’s water‑quality recommendations to member governments before bringing recommendations back to the board.

Board members asked no substantive follow‑ups after the report.