By Brad Stager
A construction project intended to improve water service in Southern Hillsborough County is underway. That’s good news for residents and businesses who are experiencing low water pressure when turning on their taps.
Known as the South County Potable Water Booster Pump Station, the main feature of the project is a 12,500-square-foot facility that will increase drinking water pressure for the growing number of homes and businesses in the south central distribution system that serves the area. It will also provide support to fire safety systems.
With development of previously remote areas of the county, many new customers are also a longer distance from the Lithia Water Treatment Plant that is their source of drinking water. The increase in customers and the expanded service area are cited by county officials as reasons for the current low water pressure problems.
The booster pump station is being constructed in the Riverview area on property located at 13003 Gordon Rd., south of the Lithia Water Treatment Plant.
According to Hillsborough County officials, if the pump station is not built, the problem of unreliable water pressure will become worse and affect a greater number of customers as increased strain is put on the existing distribution system.
Besides constructing a concrete block building to house the booster pumps, a pipeline connecting the station to the existing drinking water pipeline running along Big Bend Rd. will be installed and a 6-foot privacy fence and trees will surround the property line. Since this station supports the drinking water system, no odors are expected to be generated by it.
Construction work is expected to be done primarily between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with occasional nighttime and weekend work possible. The county said that there will be temporary road closures on Gordon Rd. in the site vicinity, with detours and lane closures at various times possible as well, but access to local properties will be maintained. No water service interruptions are anticipated.
Completion of the project is scheduled for summer of 2022 and, according to Project Manager Brad Warholak, the benefit to residents will then be apparent.
“They should experience reliable water service,” he said.
You can learn more about this project by visiting online at HCFLGov.net, sending an email to info@southcountypumpstation.com or by calling 278-7877.
