Raising the specter of not being able to meet future water needs, a Polk County agency is challenging a decision that would allow the neighboring Tampa Bay region to pull more water from the Alafia River.

A petition sent last week to the state Division of Administrative Hearings pits the Polk Regional Water Cooperative against the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Tampa Bay Water. The cooperative, made up of local governments, oversees water planning and projects in Polk County; Tampa Bay Water supplies water in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

The Polk cooperative is fighting a July 22 permit decision by the water management district to allow Tampa Bay water to withdraw more water from the Alafia, a river that starts in Polk County before flowing into Hillsborough County.

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The petition, which was filed at the water management district before going to the Division of Administrative Hearings, contends that the approval of the permit would effectively prevent the Polk cooperative from being able to get water from the Alafia that it will need in the future.

“Issuing the (Tampa Bay Water) permit will foreclose the PRWC’s (Polk Regional Water Cooperative’s) ability to use the Alafia River as a water supply source,” the challenge said. “This will result in the PRWC being unable to supply the water needs of its member governments starting 2040 or even earlier depending on factors such as population growth or further restrictions imposed by the water management districts in the CFWI (Central Florida Water Initiative) area.”

The Central Florida Water Initiative works on water-supply issues in Polk, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and part of Lake counties.

The July 22 decision by the water management district approved a “modification” of an existing Tampa Bay water permit to withdraw water from the Alafia. The permit said Tampa Bay Water “relies on multiple sources to meet demand, including the Alafia River withdrawal facility which has been developed for conjunctive use to meet regional demand, optimize wellfield withdrawals, and relieve associated environmental stresses.”

Areas of Central and Southwest Florida have long grappled with water-supply issues as populations and water demands have increased.

Attorneys for the Polk cooperative wrote in the petition filed at the Division of Administrative Hearings that Polk County historically relied on the Upper Floridan Aquifer for its water supply. But regional plans have said the aquifer is not expected to be able to meet all of the demand and that alternative water supplies should be developed.

An Alafia River project could provide one of the alternative sources.

“(If) the (Tampa Bay Water) permit is granted, the Alafia River project would no longer be feasible, leaving the citizens of Polk County with- insufficient water to meet their future needs,” the challenge said. “The lack of available water to meet future water demands and support a vibrant and growing community will affect PRWC’s various statutory duties and responsibilities with respect to planning for water management and conservation.”

The case has been assigned to Administrative Law Judge E. Gary Early.