The District has been working closely with the regional water supply authorities within its boundaries over the last several decades to reduce the region’s reliance on traditional groundwater supplies and achieve environmental recovery by developing alternative water supplies.
There is a critical need to develop additional alternative water supplies to meet the region’s substantial population growth and its associated water supply needs. Population growth within the District is projected to add an additional 1.3 million residents by 2040. As a result, public supply water demands for this same period are projected to increase more than 105 million gallons per day (mgd), with total water demands for all use categories increasing by more than 145 mgd.
The District will be assisting the Polk Regional Water Cooperative, the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority and Tampa Bay Water in the development and transmission of new or expanded alterative water supplies, including storage and transmission projects. The District has prioritized more than $600 million in cooperative funding for these projects and is working to secure additional federal and state funding to ease the burden on utility customers.
Polk Regional Water Cooperative
The Polk Regional Water Cooperative and the District have been working together to develop two major alternative water supply projects and a regional transmission system to meet the future demands while protecting the region’s lakes, wetlands and natural systems. The Southeast and West Polk wellfield projects will tap into the brackish Lower Floridan aquifer. The water will be treated using reverse osmosis technology to provide high-quality drinking water for the residents of the region. Together the two projects will provide 22.5 mgd at buildout and ensure a safe, sustainable water supply for the future. For more information on the Polk Regional Water Supply Authority, visit PRWCWater.org.
- Southeast Wellfield and Water Supply Facility/Regional Transmission System
- West Polk Wellfield and Water Supply Facility
Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority
The Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority will be constructing its third off-stream reservoir at the Peace River Treatment Facility in DeSoto County. The 9.3-billion-gallon reservoir will capture and store excess flows from the Peace River during the rainy season, which will increase reliability of the region’s water supply. The Phase 2B Regional Water Transmission pipeline will extend the regional system 14 miles further west in Charlotte County to the Englewood and Rotunda areas to meet the growing water needs of west Charlotte County. The Phase 3C expansion will extend the regional transmission system 10 miles further north in Sarasota County to Fruitville Road to meet the growing needs of northern Sarasota County. For more information on the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, visit RegionalWater.org.
Tampa Bay Water
To meet the growing drinking water demands of Southern Hillsborough County, Tampa Bay Water is building the South Hillsborough pipeline to deliver an estimated 65 mgd max day capacity of alternative water supplies to the growing Boyette, Wimauma and Balm areas. The pipeline will start at the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant in Brandon, connect to Hillsborough County’s Lithia Water Treatment Plant and end at the county’s new connection point at Balm Riverview and Balm roads. For more information on Tampa Bay Water, visit TampaBayWater.org.