Tampa Bay Water Gains $10M Boost as Florida Breaks Ground on $100M Water Plan

Florida's water infrastructure strategy is moving from planning to construction as the state distributes fresh funding to two distinct regions. The move addresses long-standing concerns about supply stability in both the Tampa Bay area and the agricultural heartland of Polk County.

Tampa Bay Water, which serves governments across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties, received $10 million. This allocation will finance an expansion of surface water treatment capacity. The project aims to increase daily output by 12.5 million gallons.

In Polk County, the Polk Regional Water Cooperative is coordinating $12.6 million for seven communities. These funds are dedicated to developing brackish water sources. Brackish water contains higher salt levels than freshwater but lower levels than seawater, requiring specific treatment before it is safe for drinking.

These two awards form a subset of a $100 million statewide package announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday in Crystal River. The governor committed $50 million to 22 alternative water supply projects and directed another $50 million toward springs restoration and water quality improvements.

The 22 alternative supply projects are projected to generate more than 60 million gallons per day upon completion. The investments include reclaimed water systems, aquifer recharge initiatives, and conservation efforts. Six reclaimed water projects will share $19.1 million. This group includes an expansion at the City of Fort Myers' Central Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility and a transmission line in Apopka designed to replace potable water with treated wastewater for irrigation.

The Alternative Water Supply Grant Program has secured $385 million in legislative appropriations since 2019. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates that funded projects will deliver more than 400 million gallons of water per day once fully operational. The parallel $50 million springs allocation targets nitrogen pollution, with 23 projects expected to remove over 55,000 pounds of nitrogen annually.