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Reservoir Site Tested For Reclaimed Water

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 2, 2008

Updated:

DOVER - Hillsborough County is conducting tests to determine just how much reclaimed water it can store in an old phosphate mine, water that would eventually be used to irrigate lawns in eastern and southern portions of the county.

Once the demand for irrigation water is met, any excess could be sold to Tampa Electric Co. to cool its expanding gas-powered electric plant in Polk County.

The Hillsborough County Water Resources Department just kicked off a soil-testing contract on an old phosphate pit between Dover and Sydney Washer Roads to see if it is suitable as a water storage area. The study should take about a year.

The county-owned land on which the pit is located is known as Sydney-Dover Trails Park and sits in close proximity to the county's wastewater treatment plant, located off Dover Road, north of State Road 60. Water resource officials have said the reservoir should not have a major impact on horse-riding activities there.

The 500-acre reservoir could potentially hold 600 million gallons of water.

"This is our feasibility study," said Bart Weiss, the county's water resource administrator. "We already know we can put six feet of water in there without rebuilding the existing berms. And we know it leaks, but we need to know how fast it leaks."

Some of the water would trickle naturally into the underground aquifer, but the majority would be pumped out for irrigation use.

"Our goal is not to stack water in the reservoir like they do at the big reservoir," Weiss said, referring to Tampa Bay Water's 15 billion-gallon drinking water reservoir south of Plant City.

The idea is to move water from the nearby wastewater treatment plant into the proposed reservoir, then out to households.

The county already provides reclaimed irrigation water to 15,000 residents in the county and has committed to provide it to 10,000 more customers, half of which would be in the proposed Waterset development in Apollo Beach.

The downturn in the construction industry has put that and some other subdivision projects on hold, but the commitment will still be met, Weiss said.

Right now, any excess wastewater not used for irrigation gets dumped into the county's rivers and streams or into Tampa Bay.

Both the city of Tampa and the county are under pressure from the state Department of Environmental Protection to stop dumping unused treated wastewater. Even though the water is highly treated, it still contains high levels of nitrogen that can rob natural water bodies of oxygen needed by fish, shellfish and other aquatic creatures.

Selling some of the reclaimed water to TECO would solve the need to dump any excess, Weiss said.

TECO spokesman Rick Morera said the electric company could use about 6 million gallons per day of reclaimed water, which, if all goes as planned, could be stored in a holding area just off Lithia Road east of the Polk County line. The holding area, or reservoir, is owned by phosphate giant Mosaic.

Morera said the electric company hopes to finalize plans with both the county and Mosaic over the next few months.

Reclaimed water would only be shifted to the TECO reservoir during the wet season, when water is plentiful, Weiss said. The company could store the water on the Mosaic property until it is needed at the power plant.

If Hillsborough County decides to build the reclaimed water reservoir, Weiss said, public meetings will be scheduled to let residents in on the details.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566 or yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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