Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant

The tampa bay seawater desalination plant catches up to 44 million gallons per day mgd of that warm seawater separates it into drinking water and concentrated seawater and dilutes the twice as salty seawater before returning it to the bay.

Tampa bay seawater desalination plant.

Tampa bay seawater desal plant review update. Volume 49 2013 issue 31. The tampa bay seawater desalination plant began construction in 2001 to help meet the long term water needs of the west central region of florida. Four vendors submitted proposals in december 1997 and binding competitive tenders were received in october 1998.

The plant is the hub of the utility s enhanced surface water system the first alternative water supply built to serve local governments that traditionally relied on groundwater. Larger seawater desalination plants are operating in the mediterranean and middle east regions but the us 108 million tampa bay desalination project on florida s gulf coast is the largest of its kind in a highly regulated environment. Since september 2002 tampa bay water s state of the art surface water treatment plant has provided high quality drinking water to the tampa bay region. This drought proof alternative water supply was added to the system in late 2007 provides up to 25 mgd of drinking water to the region.

The tampa bay seawater desalination plant catches up to 44 million gallons per day of that warm seawater for desalination. An important part of the tampa bay region s drinking water supply is the seawater desalination facility. This region has often suffered from long periods of drought and dwindling groundwater resources. The tampa bay project is but one of acciona agua s 70 reference plants in the sector with a total installed capacity of over 1 6 million cubic meters per day.

The tampa bay desalination plant was developed to ensure it sustains tampa bay residents with alternative water resources and to relieve the potential for over extraction of groundwater resources which historically have lead to depleted riparian resources and sink holes. Fravel the region is also trying to meet the increase need due to a growing population in the region. In october 1996 the west coast regional water supply authority later to become tampa bay water issued an initial call for proposals to design build operate and own a desalination plant.