Tampa Bay Water drinking water supply and growth

48:10here. So I've got a time certain for eleven o'clock Tampay Water. I know Chuck is here. Chuck, we can start early if you like. I'd be

48:16happy. All

48:17right. No presentation. Like that. Can't be water.

48:29Yeah.

48:32Let Mike

48:32hold down. Well uh good morning to you board and I uh appreciate your having me here. Uh my name is Chuck Carden. I am the general manager of Tampa Bay Water. And I've been there for Quite a few years. I've been there since nineteen ninety three. Uh I have served the last five years as the general manager. Um I do want to thank Commissioner Oakley and Weightman. They actually are serving on our board currently, but also I know uh Chairman Mariano and uh Kathryn Starkey,

49:02they've also served many, many terms and many years, and we thank you for your service.

49:07And I I've met Chuck in leadership.

49:10Tampa Bay. Oh and Chuck, I just wanna say I was appointed to the board.

49:15Yes.

49:15I would love to serve on the board. Um it is a direct conflict with the area of aging. You meet at the same date and the same time. So sadly I can't do that.

49:28Well we'll get you on there soon.

49:30I am looking forward to it.

49:34Well Tampa Bay Water, I'm going to tell you a little bit about Tampay Water, so for some of you unfamiliar, we were formed in 1998 by the member governments that we serve. There's three counties, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, and the three cities, Newport Ritchie, City of Tampa, and St. Petersburg. Our mission is to reliably provide clean, safe drinking water to the Tampa Bay Area for not only now, but for future generations. Uh we currently are supplying our members with an average

50:05of about 209 million gallons a day of drinking water. The county here, Pasco is purchasing currently 39 million gallons a day is our budget for him. A little side note, I started uh in the in the county in my career uh back in 1987 through 93, and I believe the county was taking about 15 million gallons a day at that time. So uh quite a difference uh a few years make. Our distribution system is shown in this graphic. It includes

50:3513 well fields, a surface water treatment plant that has two water intakes on two different river sources. We also have a seawater desal facility and a 15.5 billion gallon reservoir. All said, there's 21 points of connection. That's our meters that we connect to the six-member government. We also uh the amazing fact is all of that we maintain uh at a wholesale water rate to each of the members $2.64 per thousand, which

51:05is uh a little bit over a quarter of a penny per gallon.

51:12Uh our system is very complex. Uh every day we deliver a blend of treated water uh that is uh River water, D Sall water, and groundwater. And to my knowledge, it's the only system in uh this country that has those three blends together. Um that is how we keep the cost down uh to the 264 per thousand uh because each one of the sources have a different cost. The D Sall being the most expensive, groundwater being the cheapest, and we have to keep that into

51:42in mind when we're putting

51:47Um The pie chart there you can see is what we expect to average with the three sources in in this fiscal year. And as you note, um 56 percent is groundwater and the remaining 44 percent is the other two sources. Back in 1998, one of the main reasons we started uh we we formed Tambay Water, that pie chart used to be one solid color or blue, and it was 100% groundwater. And as you know uh about the water wars, that was not sustainable for the environment

52:17uh or for the area.

52:21Over the years, uh we have gone through cycles of growth and cycles of maintenance. Um, and currently we're in a growth phase. Uh this chart tells you the story. If we compare the 2025 actual demands by members to our uh demands that we're projecting 20 years from now, uh you can see quite a difference. Uh we have enough water right now. Um but over the next few years we are hard at looking for new uh ways to expand our regional system to meet the demands for

52:51the years 2028. twenty thirty-three and beyond. The fastest areas of growth are South Hillsburg County, and uh you know this very well, central and eastern Pasco County.

53:06Right now, a majority of our capital improvement program budget uh will be spent on expanding our surface water treatment plant. We're also starting a South Hillsborough Well Field project, and we're also expanding our distribution system with the South Hillsboro Pipeline.

53:24The surface water treatment plant's design capacity will be expanded to 145 million gallons a day. Currently, it's 120 million gallons a day. That uh expansion will allow an additional 12.5 million gallons a day to be delivered to our members. The plant is considered our workhorse of the system and it is uh not far from the fairgrounds in Brandon. Uh we have uh completed our design and permitting and construction is starting uh later this month, which uh there's

53:55not too much uh longer in the month, but we are about to to get started on the work there at the plant. Uh hopeful the expected end date of that plant expansion is 2028.

54:07And just recently uh the board approved another new supply and it's called the South Hillsborough Well Field. Uh the facility could bring between another six and twelve million gallons a day of new water to the region. Uh about half of that water from this well field is from uh permits that Tambay Water has acquired from uh third party uh permittees that did not la uh no longer wanted to to maintain their permits and so we acquired those. Uh the other six would come from uh credits that we would purchase

54:38with Hillsburg County. Currently, they are providing uh treated reclaim water into uh deep well injections on their coast near Apollo Beach. And uh that is forcing uh pressures inland, upwards, and uh it's keeping salt water from intruding, but that is allowing the additional six that could be permitted by the the the district. We are building the well field in phases and uh we are planning to start early next year uh and right now we are currently

55:08acquiring property. We've also started construction on the new South Hillsborough Pipeline. The pipeline uh shown here on the graph is 26 miles long and it's uh between three and five feet in diameter. It will also connect uh our facilities to two Hillsborough County water treatment plants. And the pipeline is being funded by uh not only Tampa Bay Water, but Hillsborough County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The plans are to have the pipeline

55:39in service by the end of 2028.

55:43Uh we also continue to look at projects for implementation beyond our 2033 timeline. We are currently conducting feasibility studies for the projects shown here on this graph. And uh the plans are to finish the studies and then make a recommendation to our board uh in the year 2027. So probably next year we'll be coming to our board for the next water supply projects. And as you can see of the six projects, we are exploring projects all over the region. And

56:13regardless of the source of uh your drinking water, all the water provided by Tampa Bay Water meets or surpasses all local, state, and federal standards.

56:24The last time I presented to you last year, uh I let you in on the uh PFOS, the forever chemicals. We were studying them, sampling uh along with our member governments, um, and the Environmental Protection Agency issued uh new PFOS regulations over the last uh two years. And so we have been looking at those and we have uh a study that we have. It's called the Regional Water Quality Study. It not only looks at PFOS treatment in areas, but also the

56:54removal of total organic carbon, and we'll be making recommendations to our board uh later on this spring. And as you can see in the graph, there's uh three stars in orange. Those are the areas that we have uh consistently found just above that four parts per trillion uh in the Brandon area. There's two wells in Brandon, and then there's a uh our surface water treatment, it's the bigger star. So we're looking at some different treatment for that, and we'll be presenting it to our board very soon.

57:23Yes,

57:23sir. Being that the the wells in that area are bad, would it be better off to even just close down those wells and just drill somewhere else and get credits for the drilling? Just to leave that component alone.

57:35Yeah, we're looking at that. Um they are very important wells to us. It's a system of five wells out there. Two of them uh are are the ones that are just above that. Um also to note, once we pump and blend that with other waters, it's below the four parts per trillion. So we're looking at that on a cost standby. Uh is it cost effective to to do something besides the treatment as well. So we're looking at that. Um that happened to be my last slide and I just wanted to thank you for

58:05your time. Uh I try to get around uh at least once a year to all the members to show them my face and and here to a answer any questions you may have.

58:15Okay.

58:18I had a few other responsibilities I was taking on as a as a chairman this year, but um you're well represented and I do appreciate your service for over the years. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Starkey.

58:28Um has anything happened with the Howard Curran and the uh You know how they have to stop dumping all that water into the bay? What's happening with that front?

58:38Uh haven't heard too much. I I ask uh here and there, um but it s y Senate Bill sixty four is what what you're just you're asking a where um Reclaim waters that cannot be discharged in surface water bodies of the state of Florida after the year twenty thirty two, I believe. And so there are some communities that have to do something. City of Tampa has quite the the the quantity. It's 50 million gallons a day. And so I know they're looking at some things around their plant to

59:08deep well injection. And also we're talking to them about what could we use it for. You know, I described the the county, Hillsburg County using the reclaim water to prevent salt water. intrusion but it's also turned into a drinking water uh project. So we're looking at all kinds of innovative ways. But I couldn't give you a qu uh a a direct answer of what they're doing particularly uh with the deadline coming.

59:32You know I was on the um Swift mud board. gosh, it was before I was ever uh on the school board, so two thousand and two, two thousand to two thousand and six maybe, I was on there, two thousand and eight. We were talking about the Howard Curran water way back then. We were talking about piping it up to Pasco County to rehydrate. It's it's amazing that all this time has gone by and they still haven't done something good with it.

59:58Manatee was talking about pumping it south to

1:00:01Oh yeah, Polk County wanted it too. So uh Commissioner Oakley had his hands up.

1:00:06Commissioner Oakley.

1:00:06Yeah. Jack, I appreciate the uh report you gave Do you know the actual how much we have in the reservoir at

1:00:15this time? It is just around uh under ten billion gallons out of the fifteen and a half, so two thirds full. Right. Um but we are entering the really driest parts uh of our year where in a drought. Uh the rainfall didn't occur again uh two years ago we were in a similar situation. Rainfall was very sparse in September all the way through today. And I know the our meetings next week and then the following day, Swift Mutt's gonna be meeting. And they're look uh probably gonna be going to a phase

1:00:45two water restriction. Uh I know Pasco County are is already there at one day a week, so that should help, but we've got to get through to the rainy season, which uh typically starts in mid June for us. Yeah.

1:00:57I know when we start uh one day a week r other than the uh Two days when you go that extra amount. a 30 million gallon savings a day per day. It's it's amazing how much water is saved just, you know, cutting that one day out from watering. So But um I appreciate everything we've done, but Tampei Water is actually been a great thing for Pasco County. and all of its members. Uh it continues to help and

1:01:28then we continue to come up with new projects. favorite projects would be another reservoir like the reservoir we have now. Uh would really um gain a lot of water for the area and for the future of our area. So Uh I keep hearing a lot of people, uh I call 'em Gmail people, but they They're always saying that every project that comes in drills well and pumps from our aquifer. When it's furthest from the truth, the fact of it is this water's

1:01:58coming through the system of Tampa Bay Water in our county. to uh make things better. We've uh improved with the environmental from before we used to pump so much out of the ground that We had a lot of environmental issues in our swamps and areas that needed water and we're able because of the reservoir and the D Sall and other issues, we've been able to cut the ground pumping of water down just to where that environmental issue is kind of gone

1:02:28away. So it's really been good for for Pasco County.

1:02:33Thank you. Commissioner Weightman. Thank you, Chair. Yeah, Chuck, good to see you again. I'm excited to Get back on the horse. I've I've been following along. you know, regularly, uh, ever since my first time. It it's it's fun to watch uh when we approved and I was on the Water Management District Governing Board of funding uh for the South County transmission line project. It's really been just neat to be a part of it through its cycles of of development and and progression.

1:03:04When it comes to to PFOS, Man, I don't know I don't know what the solution is there. I mean unless we capture the rain and filter it too, because it's being evap those chemicals are being evaporated up and you know, spreading all around the world. So That's probably one of everybody who touches water, probably everybody's greatest challenge in how to how to control and manage the the PFOS uh forever chemicals. But um, you know, good work. I'm glad we're I think we're getting ahead of

1:03:34it, at least trying and uh all the confidence in the world of you and your team to see See where the uh science of that subject matter takes us. So glad you're here today and thank you for your time. Thank you, sir. Mr. Yeager.

1:03:50So I am really looking forward to I think I'm what I decided was I'm gonna start listening to your board meetings. So then when I'm on the board I'll be like, I already know that. That is that is what I'm gonna do. So I really look forward to serving and learning all about what you guys do. And could you email me? I tried to take a picture of some of the slides, but I missed them. Can you email me the

1:04:12I can do better, I can give you a a a large book of of things for background information if you'd like as well. All

1:04:17right, double. Like

1:04:18of an orientation.

1:04:19I want to learn as much as I can.

1:04:20Oh very good. And Chairman, I want to think of a few things we we've just talked about as well. That four reserv four rivers project, um, your helping get that conversation going may lead to a reservoir of s of some sort to to help us with surface water, which I think would be much better. Um The You know the Howard Carrant Plan, I'm glad you brought that up, Commissioner Starkey it's something like when I first got elected was like looking at that stuff and Why are we dumping all that water into the bay? They did clean it up a lot. But I will tell you it it scares me when I hear uh conversations

1:04:50about taking this reclaimed water and turning it into drinking water.

1:04:56Get to that point. One of the things I think this could be a great benefit and maybe it's a a a stronger negotiation because I really I'm not crazy about Deep well o well injection. I know they say it goes below the aquifer, it's below that, but eventually that water's gotta go somewhere and and do something bad. if it's over a long enough time. So I I I I do have a problem with that. But With Hillsworld growing as much as it is, as much as we're going on there, uh sprinklers use so much water. And we have done such a phenomenal job with reclaim water. I wish Hillsborough

1:05:27would pick that up. Work with the city, work with Tampe Water and and and help get the funding in place to get those reclaimed pipes through those developments that are coming up. As we're growing in the area, so be it. And and long ago we actually talked about, you know, running it all the way up to you know the crossw bar well field to go rehydrate what's up there too, but Um. They didn't want to do it. And if it's too far with what we've got going on down in Hillsboro, is it growing as as much as they are too? that I think that's something we should be pushing real hard

1:05:57on rather than deep injection wells and you know turning it into drinking water. They they'd have to spend so much money cleaning that water to get it drinkable. And again, I I don't know about anyone else, but whenever I know there's that type of water, I just don't want any part of it. Um Going to um Dade City. What's the progress with the um the ex exploration up there, the investigation as far as drilling up into

1:06:20eight city area. Uh that's the eastern Pasco Well field. It's one of those six projects that I had on the slide. Uh right now they're just doing the well uh to do a pump test to to basically just see what What the environment uh will do if if water was pumped. Uh that project, like I said, is in feasibility. It's gonna there's a study that's gonna come out and it's gonna say if it's feasible to do or not. About nine million gallons a day. Uh it was uh fresh groundwater and also a brackish water.

1:06:50The brackish water has been put on hold, so they're just g they're not going as deep, but they're looking at what Does does that area support underneath environmentally with the pumps the a pump test? So um that would be next year. I said to you in 2027 the board would be looking at different supplies. Um and so the study is not done, but it will be soon, and then it'll go in there for the board to consider into the future. Okay.

1:07:16And one last thought, as we again the Howard Carn Plant pumps a lot of Of treated water, very well-treated water, but still if you look at the seagrasses, I sit in the estuary, actually chairing of the estuary for Tampa Bay. The seagrass has really been a negative uh turn for the past few years. You've got other cities that are pumping water in the two. I won't name them, but uh they're known. Um all that water by twenty thirty one or thirty two has to stop. But I think we should be starting to look at programs and maybe we can make it

1:07:46part of our federal platform as we talk about that next, to try to go up there and try to get some federal money to help these plants that are pumping that water in and go find another source for it to go, such as You know? Uh could be golf courses, could be other projects, new development coming in to to get it to a better place. So appreciate working with you. Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate the comments. Any other thoughts, questions? Okay.

1:08:09I was disappointed.