Tampa Bay Water staff told the board that construction began on the South Hillsborough pipeline and that the agency is moving forward on property rights for a planned well field in the Balm/Stacy R. White area of South Hillsborough County.

Maribel Medina said work started after the board approved GMP #3 for the South Hillsboro pipeline earlier this month and that staff will seek property rights from multiple stakeholders, including a proposed exchange with the environmental lands program (ELAP). Under the proposal described by staff, ELAP would grant five acres of permanent easement to Tampa Bay Water at no cost in exchange for development rights on an alternative property; additional easements totaling about 4.7 acres would be acquired at cost (transcript summary).

The plan described to the board locates Wells 1–4 on ELAP land (now named the Stacy R. White Nature Preserve) while Wells 6–8 and a water‑treatment facility would be collocated with Hillsborough County’s south drinking water facility. Medina said staff expects to begin negotiations and the acquisition process on the larger 40‑acre parcel early next year.

Why it matters: The property‑rights and easement work is a necessary step to deliver new local supply capacity in a fast‑growing portion of the service area and ties into broader South Hillsborough demand‑management and pipeline investments already underway.

Next steps: Staff will continue negotiations with Hillsborough County, follow interlocal agreement terms, return with acquisition documents and seek any required board approvals when legal sketches and documents are finalized.