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Tampa Bay Water outlines phased PFAS and TOC treatment plan with multi‑hundred‑million price tag
Summary
Staff told the board it will seek approval in April to begin phase 1 PFAS and TOC projects to meet federal PFAS limits; phase 1 PFAS capital costs were estimated at about $190 million (with ~$3 million/year O&M) and TOC phase 1 about $50 million (with ~$4 million/year O&M). Board discussion focused on timing, regulatory uncertainty and costs to ratepayers.
Tampa Bay Water staff presented a phased plan to reduce PFAS and total organic carbon (TOC) in the regional system and said it will ask the board in April to authorize phase 1 projects while listing larger phase 2 projects as placeholders in the 2027 capital improvement program.
"Phase 1 PFAS reduction, to comply with current EPA drinking water requirements, is nearly a $190 million in capital cost with O&M at about $3 million per year," the water‑quality presenter told the board. The consultant and staff said the agency had identified two phase‑1 TOC locations with an estimated capital cost of about $50 million and roughly $4 million per year in O&M to strengthen disinfection stability downstream.
Staff said EPA’s current PFAS compliance date is April 2029 but acknowledged regulatory uncertainty: EPA has proposed extending compliance for PFOS/PFOA to 2031 and legal challenges remain pending. The presenter also noted that three regional delivery locations recently showed PFOS concentrations slightly above the EPA limit.
Board members asked about procurement, vendor selection and staffing assumptions. One member asked whether the authority should aim for lower concentrations than the federal floor; staff replied the design basis is the federal limit while noting systems can be designed to achieve non‑detect in some cases. Staff said construction would not begin until regulatory clarity and recommended phasing projects so some work can be coordinated with planned CIP projects to achieve savings.
If approved for phase 1, staff said it would use performance data from early installations to refine later phase designs. The board did not take final action on capital authorization at the meeting; staff said they plan to return in April with formal requests and cost‑detail breakdowns for member governments.
