Tampa Bay Water announced it has been awarded a $10 million Alternative Water Supply Grant from the state of Florida. The funding will help expand the Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant, adding a fifth treatment‑process train and increasing daily drinking‑water capacity by up to 12.5 million gallons – roughly a 14 percent boost.
Why the expansion matters
Senior project manager Karim Molina‑Oyola explained that the Tampa Bay area faces growing demand for clean water. “The project will also support the resiliency of our water infrastructure. We need more redundancy,” he said. The plant, operating since 2002, treats water from the Alafia River, Hillsborough River and Tampa Bypass Canal, and also processes surplus water stored at the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir.
State support and prior funding
Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Oct. 28 that Florida will allocate $100 million to a range of spring‑restoration and alternative‑water‑supply projects. Tampa Bay Water’s grant is part of that effort. Before receiving the state grant, the agency secured $1,016,667 in congressional funding and $1 million in state funding for the same expansion.
Project timeline and details
Construction began in September 2025 on the $181 million initiative. Crews have completed large‑diameter pipe installation and are working on foundations, filters, pumps, chemical facilities and other critical systems. The expansion will also enlarge the ACTIFLO clarification process, add an additional ozone contactor – the plant’s primary disinfectant – and install more biologically active filters and secondary disinfection chemical systems. Completion is expected by 2028, positioning the region to meet drinking‑water needs through 2033.
Community impact
The water system serves Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as the cities of St. Petersburg, New Port Richey and Tampa, providing wholesale drinking water to more than 2.6 million people. “We are thankful to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for granting us this funding opportunity for the Surface Water Treatment Plan expansion,” Molina‑Oyola added, noting the project’s role in increasing reliability and safeguarding the water supply for families across the Tampa Bay area.
Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.
