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The main transmission line along Gulf Boulevard is going in now. When the $195-million project is done, residents may water at will.
By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 2, 2001
TREASURE ISLAND -- Large lavender pipes, construction signs and orange cones along Gulf Boulevard are the latest signs that the county's $195-million reclaimed water project on the south county beaches is well under way.
As the main transmission line is being laid along Gulf Boulevard from the Park Street bridge to Blind Pass, neighborhood distribution lines are being installed in Redington Shores and Treasure Island. Similar construction is soon to begin in North Redington Beach, Redington Beach and Madeira Beach.
When the reclaimed water spigots are turned on -- expected in most communities by summer 2003 -- beach residents can sidestep drought-imposed water restrictions and water their plants at will.
That also will mean an environmentally friendly reuse of waste water that otherwise would pollute coastal and inland waterways.
In most areas, contractors are using a horizontal directional drilling technique that eliminates the need to dig up large sections of streets or sidewalks. A hole is drilled about 3 feet down and then horizontally for a distance. The pipe is then pulled into the hole. Some sections will require traditional open-trenching, however, particularly where other utilities are in the same area.
The horizontal directional drilling technique also will be used to install the main transmission line under John's Pass and other waterways, such as the entrances to the Isle of Capri, the Isle of Palms and the Treasure Island Causeway.
Two weeks before working in any neighborhood, notices will be placed on each home's door announcing the work and listing information telephone numbers. Special requests for placement of the lines and tie-in boxes can be made at that time. Tie-in boxes will be placed in the public easement between curbs and sidewalks or property lines.
During construction, some inconveniences will occur -- traffic congestion, torn-up sidewalks, temporarily closed roads, occasional disruption of potable water service and broken sewer lines.
"We've drilled through a few sewer lines and flooded some bathrooms. It's the nature of the beast," said Sandra McDowall, a utility engineering supervisor, stressing that the county -- or its contractor -- is responsible for cleaning up or repairing any damage.
Last month, representatives of the Pinellas County utility department met with Treasure Island residents to answer questions about the project.
"We are very concerned about our public relations with all of you. It's not just lip service," said Ari Gomez, a Pinellas County utility department engineer. "We're trying to disrupt your lives as little as possible. You will have some disruption, but that is what progress is all about. Reclaimed water is going to be an asset to the islands."
He urged residents of all affected towns to check the utility department Web site (http://utility.co.pinellas.fl.us/pcuweb/index.html) regularly for project updates or call the project hotline (464-4273), where someone is available to answer questions during regular business hours.
Once the project is completed, all residents will have access to reclaimed water and will have to pay an access fee of $7 a month whether they use it or not. Property owners will be required to pay the access fee for 30 years, unless they opt to pay a lump sum of about $1,500. Paying the $7 monthly access fee over 30 years would add up to $2,520.
An earlier effort by the cities of Madeira Beach and Indian Rocks Beach to prohibit forced access fees failed when the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the county could charge all properties for the project costs.
In addition to the access fee, residential users will pay a flat $2 monthly usage fee. Commercial users will pay the $7 monthly access fee plus metered charges of 29 cents per 1,000 gallons.
There is no additional charge to hook up to the system, which can be tied into an existing irrigation system or set up for a hose connection. Those property owners who installed their own shallow well before 1997 are exempted from the $7 access fee unless they opt to tie into the reclaimed water system.
When the project is completed, beach property owners will receive a letter inviting them to apply to use the reclaimed water system. A county inspector is required to be on site for the connection to ensure no contamination of the potable water system.
The cities of St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach operate their own reclaimed water systems. While residents pay a flat fee, costs of reclaimed water for commercial establishments vary according to the size of the property or amount of usage.
St. Petersburg residents are charged a connection fee of $320 to $370, a monthly usage fee of $10.36 for the first acre or less, and a property assessment fee based on the cost of extending the system to their property. St. Pete Beach residents pay a $200 hookup fee and a flat rate of $11.50 a month.