MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

H076
Regional Reclaimed Water Partnership Initiative
Project Type WS&R Dev.
AOR(s)
Water Supply, Water Quality
Basin(s) General Fund (District), Alafia River, Peace River
Cooperator(s)
Tampa Electric Company
Project Manager RAMOY, ALISON
Task Manager(s)
Status Ongoing
Description
This alternative water supply project is proposed to maximize the beneficial use of reclaimed water flows that are not
currently being beneficially used by the City of Lakeland, and potentially other utilities, such as Polk County, Plant City,
Mulberry and Hillsborough County. The project is best described as being composed of two elements. The first
element is a traditional reclaimed water supply project consisting of transmission pipelines and storage to provide
reclaimed water to industrial users from one or more domestic wastewater treatment facilities. This element is
proposed to be implemented in at least two phases.
Phase I consists of the design and construction of approximately 15 miles of reclaimed water transmission main from
the City of Lakeland's wastewater effluent wetland treatment system to the Tampa Electric Company's (TECO) Polk
Power Station (WUP# 11747) for power generation expansion (Unit 6). Phase I also includes the additional treatment
necessary, including one deep disposal well, for TECO to treat the water to an acceptable level for cooling and other
potential uses.
Phase II , of the first element, may bring additional reclaimed water to TECO to meet additional power generation
expansion needs at the Polk Power Station (Unit 7). Phase II may also provide reclaimed water to customers in
addition to TECO, such as Mosaic. It is likely that storage will be necessary for this phase, which could involve the
reclamation and conversion of Mosaic's N-5 Reservoir to a reclaimed water storage reservoir. The source of
reclaimed water for this second phase is being evaluated and could include Hillsborough County's Valrico Wastewater
Treatment Facility. District staff and project participants will be ensuring the project infrastructure, including pipe
capacities, are sized appropriately in anticipation of future flows that may be used to serve other users.
Recharge is being explored as part of the second element, which is more innovative in concept and seeks to create
opportunities for additional potable groundwater withdrawals in the SWUCA through direct or indirect recharge of
reclaimed water into the Upper Floridan aquifer in southern Hillsborough County and/or western Polk County. FY2008
funding was approved by the Governing Board to be used for the initiation of a feasibility study to be conducted by a
specialized consultant to investigate treatment needs, costs and water resource benefits (potential new groundwater
withdrawals) achieved through direct or indirect recharge of reclaimed water into the Upper Floridan aquifer. The
feasibility study is being solely funded and managed by the District.
Benefits
The implementation of Phase I will provide TECO with approximately 6 mgd of an alternative water source for power
generation expansion at the Polk Power Station. While flows have not been finalized, Phase II will provide TECO with
reclaimed water for a future power generation expansion. Discussions with potential Phase II project participants
have revealed that additional reclaimed water flows may be utilized by other customers, such as Mosaic. Utilization of
reclaimed water will eliminate surface water discharges, ultimately resulting in a reduction of nitrogen loading to Tampa
Bay. The potential project benefit of recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer of the SWUCA in the vicinity of southern
Hillsborough County or western Polk County is being explored and if feasible could provide for additional groundwater
withdrawals in the SWUCA.
Costs
Phase I is estimated to cost $65,686,800, and the District is being asked to fund 50 percent, or $32,843,400. The
funding approved for Phase I in FY2009, includes $8,354,642 from the Governing Board, $2,540,354 from the Alafia
River Basin Board, and $521,640 from the Peace River Basin Board, for a total of $11,416,636 in District funding. An
additional $2,500,000 from the Water Restoration Action Plan Fund has been allocated to Phase I in FY2009. The
funding approved in FY2010 for Phase I includes $5,000,000 from the Governing Board, $1,611,780 from the Alafia
River Basin Board, and $600,000 from the Peace River Basin Board, for a total of $7,211,780 in District funding.
Though the Manasota Basin Board approved $31,250 in FY2009, the funding was returned to the Basin Board due to
further project refinement, which does not include a water resource benefit in this basin. The Governing Board also
allocated $50,000 from the FY2008 budget to assist TECO in the cost analyses of evaluating potential reclaimed water
supply routes for Phase I. However, a route was selected without having to utilize the $50,000 that was set aside, so it
was returned to the Governing Board's Water Supply and Resource Development Reserves (H100).
Phase II has not yet been initiated. The preliminary cost estimate is $70,000,000.
Recharge: The Governing Board also allocated $500,000 from the FY2008 budget to be used for a feasibility study to
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