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County will fight to keep its water
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
DADE CITY -- When it comes to taking more water from Pasco's wells for regional needs, the County Commission says it's past time to turn off the spigot. Talking with the director of Tampa Bay Water on Tuesday, commissioners said they would fight any attempt by the agency to extract more groundwater from Pasco County. "This is not something I'm going to support you on," Commissioner Steve Simon said during the meeting at the Historic County Courthouse. "I don't want you to do this." Tampa Bay Water has looked for a place to pump in east Pasco since last spring, engaging the Dade City manager and large water permit holders in discussions about buying surplus water and opening defunct wells as early as March 2003. The agency is reviewing millions of gallons per day permitted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District at properties owned by Pasco Beverage, Evans Properties, CF Industries, the Bexley family, Wiregrass Ranch and Dade City, documents show. Simon and other commissioners noted that Pasco's lakes and wetlands levels have only recently begun to rise again as the county's environment rebounds from years of excessive groundwater pumping for the region's needs. "It appears once again you are looking to Pasco County to provide the groundwater . . . for the Tampa Bay area," Commissioner Ted Schrader said. Tampa Bay Water chief executive Jerry Maxwell said the inquiry into the use of 17-million gallons of water a day is only one of 11 ideas on the agency's long-range development list. "We have the obligation to explore every single possibility" for water sources, he said. Tampa Bay Water has promised to reduce Pasco and Hillsborough's groundwater pumping from 158-million gallons of water a day in 2000 to 90-million in 2008. In Hillsborough County's Apollo Beach, a desalination plant capable of generating 25-million gallons a day of tap water will start delivering drinking water early next year. And officials are pursuing a second, 25-million-gallon desalination plant for a site near the Anclote River and the Gulf of Mexico. Maxwell tried to shed doubt on the likelihood of using the surplus water. First, landowners would have to get permission from Swiftmud to alter their permits. Then the nine-member Tampa Bay Water board would have to approve the plan. Schrader also questioned Maxwell about talks between Tampa Bay Water and St. Petersburg officials regarding the possible sale of an easement owned by the city. The easement runs along old railroad property west of San Antonio. It could provide a pipeline connection to east Pasco. But Maxwell said water could be pumped across the easement from existing well fields to growing subdivisions in Pasco County, not to other regions. If that's the case, Schrader questioned, why wasn't Pasco included in the talks? He requested that county officials be part of any future discussions. Maxwell agreed. In other business Tuesday, the commission voted unanimously to approve a new sign ordinance that will prohibit pole signs in the future and call for ground-level monument signs instead. County Administrator John Gallagher said the county would review the ordinance again in six months to see if it needs to be tweaked. He also said his staff is trying to find the funds to hire more code enforcement personnel to enforce the ordinance. Also, the commission voted to change its personnel policy to allow employees who miss work when serving as military reservists to collect overtime pay if they've already worked a full week. Also, the commission approved the $10,000 purchase of a sewer system owned by Sky Acres Enterprise, a utility company that serves about 140 residents in Terrace Park in Zephyrhills. The purchase is part of the county's ongoing effort to bring private utilities under county ownership. -- Saundra Amrhein covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is amrhein@sptimes.com .
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