Veolia North America, the leading environmental services company in the United States, has finalized an agreement with Tampa Bay Water (TBW) to lead the design, construction, and operation of a major expansion to enhance TBW’s capacity to deliver high-quality drinking water to over 2.5 million customers along Florida’s Gulf Coast. This project marks a new phase in Veolia’s nearly three-decade-long partnership with TBW, which has been instrumental in protecting the region’s environment and providing superior quality water to support the growing population and thriving economy of the area.
The $181 million expansion at TBW’s Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant in Tampa will increase its daily production capacity by up to 12.5 million gallons, a priority initiative to meet future regional growth demands. Tampa Bay Water approved Veolia’s proposal under a progressive design-build model, collaborating throughout the design process to ensure the final proposal meets the utility’s financial, technical, and environmental expectations.
The planned upgrades to Tampa Bay Water’s plant include the addition of a fifth system of Veolia’s ACTIFLO and ozone treatment processes, which will supplement the four systems already in operation
“Veolia is proud of its long-standing role supporting Tampa Bay Water’s transformative work to provide robust and reliable water supplies for a region that once was plagued by declining water tables and environmental risks,” said Karine Rougé, CEO of Municipal Water at Veolia North America. “Veolia’s unique combination of technology, expertise and experience helps communities develop long-term water solutions, and our work with Tampa Bay Water shows how we build true partnerships with communities to help them, their residents and their environment.”
Veolia North America, through a predecessor company, built the utility’s existing infrastructure and has been providing drinking water services to the region since 2000. Tampa Bay Water approved a five-year extension to its operating contract with Veolia in 2023, and both parties finalized their agreement to move forward on the expansion project in March.
The planned upgrades to Tampa Bay Water’s plant include the addition of a fifth system of Veolia’s ACTIFLO and ozone treatment processes, which will supplement the four systems already in operation; additional filtration capacity; improvements to the treated water disinfection, storage, and transmission systems; as well as upgrades to the filter backwash and solids handling systems.
Once complete, the expanded system is expected to provide a sustainable capacity of 110 million gallons per day, with a maximum rated capacity between 140 million and 150 million gallons per day. The expansion project aligns with Veolia’s global GreenUp strategy, which focuses on leading the ecological transformation of the planet by accelerating water quality improvement, hazardous waste treatment and disposal, decarbonization, and technological innovation.
