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Most of Tampa’s drinking water is treated surface water from the Hillsborough River. The river begins in the Green Swamp and winds its way through Tampa to Hillsborough Bay. In Tampa’s Sulphur Springs area, the river reaches the Hillsborough River Dam. The reservoir holds Tampa’s primary drinking water source, which is treated at the adjacent David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility.

 

David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility

 

To provide a dependable alternative to a scattered system of poor quality wells, the City of Tampa constructed the David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility in 1924. Restored to its original Moorish-Spanish decor, it is designated an American Water Landmark. While the architecture of Tampa's original water treatment plant has been preserved, the treatment process continues to change and improve as technology advances. The plant houses Tampa's state-certified Water Quality Laboratory. Throughout the treatment process, continuous and complete water analyses ensure that Tampa's water quality exceeds all State and Federal standards.

 

The David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility produces around 90 percent of the water that is consumed by Tampa Water Department customers and is one of the largest surface water treatment plants in Florida.  After treatment, the finished water is pumped through 2,300 miles of pipe to the more than 645,000 people served by the Tampa Water Department (TWD). 

 

In 1978, Tampa’s Morris Bridge Water Treatment Plant (MBWTP) was completed to provide additional pumping capacity during the seasonal dry periods and as a repump station to meet daily peak demands when needed. The plant is designed to process approximately 40 million gallons a day. Morris Bridge Well Field was the source water for the plant.

 

 In 1998, the Morris Bridge Well Field was sold to Tampa Bay Water. Currently, the MBWTP while still maintaining its capacity to treat groundwater, is connected to the Tampa Bay Water pipeline that carries potable water. The City purchases the potable water, during the dry season as needed, through this MBWTP connection point to Tampa Bay Water. The potable water from Tampa Bay Water receives further chemical adjustments for optimum fluoride, disinfectant and pH adjustment before it is distributed to the customers. The MBTWP also functions as a high service pump station.

 

Find out more about Rapid Mix Find out more about Flocculation Find out more about Sedimentation Find out more about Filtration Find out more about Pre-Ozone, pH Control and Fluoride Find out more about Final Disinfection and pH-Control Find out more about Clearwell Storage The Water Treatment Process

 

Tampa’s Drinking Water Treatment Process

Tampa’s demand for water averages about 80 million gallons a day. Most of the demand, pumped from the Hillsborough River reservoir, is treated with a six-step process prior to being stored in large underground tanks called clearwells.

Step 1: Rapid Mix

Naturally occurring organic matter found in Florida streams and rivers gives the Hillsborough River its tea-like color. A coagulant, ferric sulfate, and sulfuric acid are added to the water, and they react with the organic matter to form substances called floc.

 

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Step 2: Flocculation

During this step, polymers are added to the water, which is circulated to allow the floc particles to form larger, heavier floc solids.

 

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Step 3: Sedimentation

After flocculation the water flows into rectangular settling basins. As the water moves down the length of the basin, the floc settles to the bottom. Clear, settled water is collected at the end of the basins. Computerized traveling siphon bridges clean the bottom of the basins, and floc vacuumed from the bottom is further treated and removed.

 

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Step 4: Stabilization and Disinfection

Clear, settled water is collected at the end of the settling basins and treated with ozone in a large rectangular ozone contactor. Ozone is a strong oxidant capable of destroying harmful bacteria and viruses and inactivating microbial pathogens such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Ozone also destroys taste- and odor-causing compounds. Lime is added to the water after ozonation to stabilize the pH of the treated water. Fluoride is added to provide dental health benefits.

 

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Step 5: Filtration

The disinfected water is filtered through mixed bed filters containing sand and activated carbon coal to remove any remaining particles. The filters are periodically backwashed to remove collected particles. An automated, computerized backwash program removes dirty filters from service and begins a reversed-flow washing process. Air scouring helps dislodge material collected in the filter media. Backwash water removes dislodged material to a thickener tank for reclamation. After settling in the thickener, the backwash water is recycled to the beginning of the treatment stream for reprocessing. Solids collected in the thickener are removed for dewatering and disposal.

 

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Step 6: Final Disinfection

After filtration, chlorine and ammonia are added to the treated water to prepare it for storage. The combination of ammonia and chlorine produce a disinfectant called monochloramine. Monochloramine is the final residual disinfectant for the finished water. It maintains the disinfectant integrity of the water in the distribution system and inhibits the formation of byproducts that may form when only chlorine is used. Sodium hydroxide is added to produce the final desired drinking water pH before storage for later distribution. High service process pumps send the finished water from storage.

 

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Clearwell Storage

Finished water is stored in large cement underground tanks called clearwells. High service process pumps send the finished water from storage to Tampa’s water distribution system to meet the demand for drinking water.

 

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