Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tampa Bay Water warns reservoir low, outlines desal, pipeline and PFAS work
Summary
Chuck Carden of Tampa Bay Water told commissioners the regionis refilling reservoirs after a dry period and described near‑term and longer‑term projects — including a diesel/desal start‑up later this year, a $180M plant expansion and a 26‑mile pipeline aimed at 2028 service — and said the utility is sampling for new PFAS standards.
Chuck Carden, general manager of Tampa Bay Water, briefed the Board on supply and quality work across the regional wholesaler network and defended the agencys multi‑year planning. He said reservoir levels fell to around 2.3 billion gallons in June and that a one‑day‑per‑week outdoor watering restriction enacted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District has helped reduce demand while staff work to refill storage. "We are committed to serving the community every day," Carden said.
Carden described near‑term capacity steps and longer‑range projects. He said a diesel‑fired plant will return in October with roughly 12 million gallons per day of capacity and reach higher output by December; a $180 million surface‑water treatment expansion is under way and a proposed 26‑mile South Hillsborough pipeline — funded in part by district grants — is planned for service in 2028. On water quality, Carden noted new regulatory parameters for PFAS (a 4 parts‑per‑trillion annual standard with a five‑year compliance window) and said Tampa Bay Wateris sampling quarterly. He reported one compound slightly above the new limit at certain wells but said blending at the downstream treatment plant brings delivered water below the 4 ppt threshold prior to distribution.
Why it matters: commissioners pressed on the technical details and on regional coordination; the projects Carden described are intended to address near‑term drought stress and long‑term growth in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Staff will return with more detail as feasibility studies and consultant reports are completed.
