Tampa Bay Water has begun construction on a $181 million expansion of the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant in Tampa, Florida. The project will increase the facility’s treatment capacity by up to 12.5 million gallons per day to meet rising regional demand.
The expansion will support drinking water supply across Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, as well as the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and New Port Richey. The additional capacity is expected to enter operation in 2028.
CDM Smith and Veolia Water North America are delivering the project through a public-private partnership with Tampa Bay Water. The project is financed through revenue bonds along with state and federal funding.
The work will upgrade several treatment processes at the facility. Crews will expand clarification systems that remove color and particles from untreated river water. The project also includes expanded ozone treatment capacity and biologically active filtration to remove organic material.
Additional improvements include new piping and valves connecting onsite storage to the plant’s influent system. It will also expand secondary disinfection and residuals processing systems to support higher treatment volumes. The upgrades will increase drinking water production without raising permitted river withdrawals. The improvements will also allow the system to capture and treat more rainfall when available.
The plant is a key component of the region’s Enhanced Surface Water System. The system has reduced groundwater withdrawals by nearly 50 percent and supported the recovery of lakes and wetlands across the Tampa Bay area.