Tampa water officials are working to meet growing demand
Tony Sadiku reports
TAMPA, Florida. – The Tampa Bay area continues to be one of the most dynamic in the United States. But as this leads to a booming local economy, environmental managers are working to ensure the area can meet the growing demand for clean water.
According to Tampa Bay Water, there is enough to meet the region’s demand for the next six years. Then it will need about 10 million gallons of additional water per day to keep up.
Tampa Bay Water says it is currently working on a feasibility study to map potential future water sources and what new infrastructure might be needed as more people continue to inhabit the Bay Area.
In the short term, Tampa Bay Water is announcing the construction of a new booster station in Brandon to deliver more water to the Hillsborough County Lithia plant. It is also designing a new pipeline to deliver water to a new delivery point in southern Hillsborough County.
Tampa Bay Water says it is also exploring three potential long-term projects — expanding their surface water plant, expanding their desalination plant, or building a new wellfield in southern Hillsborough County.
Final decisions on this are expected to be made later this year.