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Alafia River Alternative Water Supply Project Update (Information)
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DESCRIPTION
The 2017 Phase 2 Implementation Agreement Engineers Report established the top priorities for alternative water supply options in the Polk County region. One of the highest ranked projects was a surface water project that captured flows from the North and South prongs of the Alafia River in Polk County. Initial analysis by TeamOne indicated that up to 15 MGD of long-term annual average surface water flow was available to the PRWC. This project continues to be listed as a future water supply source for the PRWC in both the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Regional Water Supply Plans. PRWC water supply demand projections indicate that between 14 and 27 MGD of additional alternative water supply, beyond conservation and the Southeast, West Polk Projects, and Peace River/Peace Creek projects, will be needed by 2070. The Alafia River will potentially be a critical option to provide this additional supply.
On March 14, 2025, a meeting was held between Tampa Bay Water (TBW) and the PRWC where TBW provided notice to the PRWC that they intended to apply for a modification to their existing Water Use Permit on the Alafia River. The permit modification will allow TBW to increase their withdrawal from 10% to 19% of river flows after minimum low flow criteria are met. Initial water availability analysis by the PRWC indicates that if the permit modification is granted to Tampa Bay Water, a PRWC water supply project on the Alafia would no longer be viable.
At the April 21, 2025 TBW Board of Directors meeting, TBW staff requested Board approval to submit the permit modification to the SWFWMD. Following staff presentation and comments by the PRWC Executive Director, the TBW Board authorized staff to submit the permit modification request, allowing for a 30-day review/comment time by individual TBW members ...
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