Public works officials in Tampa, Florida, are working with Mayor Jane Castor on a $3.1 billion proposal to rehabilitate the city’s aging sewer and water infrastructure and build a new water source via indirect potable reuse.
Some residents, however, have expressed that they aren’t happy about a proposal that could double their water bills by 2026. In response to that, seven city council members came out in opposition of part of the plan that would cost $300 million to build a 50 mgd indirect potable reuse system.
It’s also worth noting that critics are using the derisive moniker “toilet-to-tap” to describe the project, largely thanks to the innumerable mass media outlets that have popularized the term the past few years.
As for the rest of the project, Castor says it’s not a matter of choice. “This is something we have to replace,” she tells Tampa Bay Times. “We’re in a position now where we’re going to have to pay more in responding to water main breaks than it will cost to replace. So it’s not a question of if.”
Update: Since originally publishing this article, Castor has scrapped the $300 million indirect potable reuse proposal and gained the approval of city council for a $2.9 billion overhaul of Tampa's infrastructure.
Great Lakes Water Infrastructure Conference Slated for April 2020
The 2020 Great Lakes Water Infrastructure Conference will be held April 28-30 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan.
The conference is hosted by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and will identify the water infrastructure challenges faced by the Great Lakes region.
Speakers and attendees will discuss those challenges with key topics including funding and finance mechanisms, water affordability, environmental health, water infrastructure planning and reinvestment, innovative water quality solutions, green infrastructure techniques, cybersecurity strategy, and communications practices.
Federal Judge Backs Up Newark Bottled Water Decision
Federal Judge Esther Salas has sided with the city of Newark, New Jersey, in its decision not to provide bottled water to residents served by the Wanaque Water Treatment Plant.
City officials say the area is not impacted by the ongoing lead contamination issues experienced in the western part of the city serviced by the Pequannock Water Treatment Plant.
