The Southwest Florida Water Management District has begun construction of a project that will improve water quality entering McKay Bay and Tampa Bay.
The McKay Bay-Eastshore Commerce Park Parcel Stormwater Retrofit project will treat runoff from the 1,050-acre basin within the McKay Bay watershed of Tampa Bay, which is a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) priority water body. The project will be built on land owned by Tampa Bay Water.
Stormwater will be diverted to a marsh and alum treatment system.
Alum is a chemical agent that promotes the formation of large particle aggregates, or floc. The floc is made up of aluminum hydroxide and absorbed constituents of the stormwater. The floc precipitates out of solution, removing a variety of pollutants from the storm water.
The flow will discharge into a pond where pollutants will settle and be removed. Treated water will then exit the pond and re-enter the drainage ditch downstream.
“One of the SWIM Programs primary goals is to identify and implement projects that will reduce pollution to our priority water bodies,” said Janie Hagberg, SWIM project manager. “This project represents strides toward meeting our goals through a partnership of agencies focusing on water quality improvements in Tampa Bay.
The District is responsible for the design, permitting and construction of the stormwater treatment project. Tampa Bay Water is donating the
land for the project and Hillsborough County is responsible for long-term operation and maintenance.
The project’s construction costs total $1,117,923. The construction is cooperatively funded by the District’s Hillsborough River Basin Board, State SWIM program and an Environmental Protection Agency grant. In addition to operation and maintenance, Hillsborough County is providing construction inspection services.
The anticipated completion date is August 2006.