Tampa Bay Water has officially begun construction on a major expansion of its Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant, marking a $181 million investment aimed at reinforcing long-term drinking water security for Florida’s west-central Gulf Coast.
The project will increase the facility’s treatment capacity by up to 12.5 million gallons per day (mgd). The additional output is designed to meet rising demand across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, as well as the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. The upgraded capacity is expected to be operational in 2028 and will address regional needs through 2033.
“We continually plan for the future so residents can turn on their taps with confidence,” said Chuck Carden, Tampa Bay Water general manager. “You can always count on a reliable supply of drinking water.”
The expansion will focus on optimizing existing infrastructure to generate more treated water without increasing permitted river withdrawals, enhancing the capture and treatment of available rainfall. The improvements will expand clarification, ozone treatment and biologically active filtration processes, alongside improvements to disinfection and residuals management systems to support the higher output.
The plant is a central component of the utility’s Enhanced Surface Water System, which has enabled the region to curb groundwater withdrawals. According to the utility, that shift contributed to the recovery of previously stressed lakes and wetlands. “The plant played a major role in the unprecedented environmental recovery of lakes and wetlands in our area,” Carden said. “When we reduced groundwater pumping, we replaced much of that supply with river water from this plant, while still meeting the drinking water needs of a growing region.”
Delivered through a public-private partnership with Veolia Water North America and CDM Smith, the project will be financed through revenue bonds and state and federal grants.
Construction is scheduled to continue through 2028 as part of the utility’s long-term master planning framework, which anticipates the region may require up to 38 mgd of additional supply by 2043.
