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Board authorizes $15.5M to restore desalination facility to original 28 MGD capacity
Summary
Tampa Bay Water authorized a $15.5 million task authorization to build two RO racks and replace equipment to restore the desalination facility to about 28 million gallons per day; the board approved the item unanimously.
The Tampa Bay Water board unanimously approved a task authorization on May 18 to complete repairs and upgrades at its seawater desalination facility that staff said will restore the plant to its original design capacity of roughly 28 million gallons per day.
Maribel Medina, planning and projects director, told the board the work includes construction of two new reverse‑osmosis racks (trains 6 and 7), procurement and installation of pressure vessels and membranes, and replacement or reconditioning of major motors, pumps, a 50‑ton AC unit, variable frequency drives and communications equipment. Medina said the total budget for the project is $15.5 million, including about $3 million for owner’s allowance, with construction of the new racks expected by May 2027 and final completion anticipated by August 2027.
Board members asked about schedule acceleration; staff said they are moving as quickly as feasible. The authorization builds on prior work that had replaced five of seven original RO racks and upgraded 13 VFDs. The presentation also followed earlier reporting in the meeting that the desalination plant was offline for a week because of planned maintenance by the local electric utility, which staff said was expected to be temporary.
The board moved and seconded the task authorization and the motion carried unanimously.
