Despite weekend showers Tampa Bay Water pulls early from reservoir

A Tampa Bay Water official said that over the last three months, we didn’t get enough water, since the reservoir also plays a crucial role in replenishing sources.

TAMPA, Fla. — The recent weekend rain is allowing the city of Tampa to hold off on purchasing additional water from Tampa Bay Water, but officials said it will take much more rain.

The C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir holds up to 15.5 billion gallons of water. Right now, Warren Hogg, from Tampa Bay Water, said it’s about 75 percent full.

“We had a very, very dry September. We only got two inches, which is way below normal. Almost no rain in October and very little in November,” Hogg said.

Despite last weekend’s rainfall, Tampa Bay Water is urging residents to conserve water, as it began drawing from its reservoir sooner than preferred.

“We would prefer to not pull water out until the beginning of the year, January, maybe February into the Spring. This year we had to start in October,” Hogg said.

The reservoir supplies water to Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Tampa Bay Water describes the regional reservoir as the area’s savings account and drawing into it early isn’t ideal.

“Without it, in the Spring, we would not have any surface water for our system,” Hogg said. 

The reservoir holds excess river water so when it doesn’t rain, there’s no surplus, meaning there’s no water to collect.

“We’re still down for the year; we have received so far 40 inches of rain, but we’re a little over six and a half inches down,” 10 Tampa Bay News Meteorologist James Hopkins said.

Hopkins said we need consistent rain to break out of the drought.

“We received over the last two days more rain than the past three months combined. But, again, unfortunately, are deficit prior to this weekend’s rainfall was nine inches,” Hopkins said.

Tampa Bay Water said right now the reservoir is in good standing, but the team said as the population continues to grow, it’s considering a second reservoir.

“Part of our feasibility study, we are looking at the Little Manatee River and Bull Frog Creek as another water supply possibility,” Hogg said. 

Right now, Tampa Bay Water is constructing a 26-mile-long pipe from the Tampa Bay Water regional surface water treatment plant in Brandon to south Hillsborough County. 

It’s expected to bring an additional 65 million gallons of water a day to South Hillsborough.

This project will take three years to complete.