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In dry times, desal plant pumps out good news

The facility has produced 20-million gallons in a few days. It now needs to pass a final test.

By LETITIA STEIN
Published April 10, 2007

TAMPA - Tampa Bay's troubled desalination plant proudly announced a milestone Monday: It is producing drinking water for a very dry region.

After clearing water quality tests, the plant has pumped more than 20-million gallons directly into the water system since late last week.

But the Apollo Beach facility hasn't passed a formal test required for full operation. Failure on a similar test in 2003 exposed problems that resulted in a series of delays and hugely expensive repairs.

"This is a first step in a process of finally having this plant fully accepted and available for long-term successful operation," said Ken Herd, director of operations and facilities for Tampa Bay Water.

The plant, the largest in the United States, was designed to take seawater from Tampa Bay, filter out salt and produce 25-million gallons of drinking water a day. It is considered a vital tool for supplying water to a growing region in times of drought, like today.

But problems plagued the project from the onset. Contractors went bankrupt. Water pumps rusted. Asian green mussels clogged the water intake.

Costs ballooned by $29-million, to a total of $140-million.

Despite all the delays, the plant has produced water. Between 2003 and 2005, the plant produced about 5-billion gallons of drinking water.

When the last delay was announced in December, officials at Tampa Bay Water wanted to see the plant fully operational by March. The additional water it can produce is especially important during this year's dry spell.

But the contractor hired to fix the plant's previous problems doesn't want to rush into the final test, which will require the plant to produce at least 25-million gallons daily for two straight weeks.

Eric Sabolsice, project manager for American Water Pridesa, a German-Spanish consortium, stressed the good news is being up and running: "This facility is operating during a dry time of the year, as it's been intended to do all along," he said.

He did not set a time line for the final trial. "We are taking our time and making sure that we are getting it right the first time," Sabolsice said.

In recent weeks, the plant has pumped up to 15-million gallons daily. Until the Department of Environmental Protection signed off, the water got a second cleaning before it could be fed directly into the region's water system.

Sustained operation will test repairs designed to do a better job of removing particles from water prior to desalination. Previously, the plant's filters and membranes were fouling too quickly, requiring frequent replacement and cleaning.

Times staff writer Craig Pittman contributed to this report. Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or 226-3400.

[Last modified April 10, 2007, 00:30:09]