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First test could be tough for regional water plan By JEAN HELLER © St. Petersburg Times, published April 22, 1998 AMPA -- Call it the "Big If." The pieces are in place for a sea change in the way the region provides itself with water. The future holds the promise of environmentally friendly, litigation-free, drought-proof supplies for residents, businesses and growth. The "Big If" is the approval of all six member governments in the reorganization and redirection of the West Coast Regional Water Supply Authority, the area's largest water distributor. The six are Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties and the cities of St. Petersburg, Tampa and New Port Richey. The voting begins today with Hillsborough County. In addition, the reorganization must be approved by Hillsborough County's Environmental Protection Commission -- whose executive director, Roger Stewart, strongly opposes the agreement. His opposition is worrying those who support it. All it takes is a single no vote from any one of the seven government entities to kill the plan that has been nearly two years in the making. "It would be a year before we could even try to put the thing together again, and who knows if we could? Who knows what the situation will be in this region in a year," said Hillsborough Commissioner Ed Turanchik, also chairman of the West Coast board. This morning the EPC -- whose members are the Hillsborough County commissioners wearing different hats -- vote on the reorganization, formally called governance. Then commissioners, acting as the County Commission, will vote at an afternoon session. By April 30, all governments will have voted. Approval across the board will permit the Legislature to pass a measure enabling the changes to happen. West Coast's successor, called Tampa Bay Water, would open for business July 1. The final piece of the overarching agreements, the Partnership Plan between West Coast and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, came together in the early hours Tuesday when the boards of both agencies voted to approve it. Under the Partnership Plan, Swiftmud would provide up to $183-million to help develop new water resources, such as desalination and a reservoir. Swiftmud refuses to pay for new groundwater sources, out of concern that pumping can cause significant environmental damage. It would be a personal blow to Turanchik if one of his own boards were the instrument of death for the new water plan, developed and nurtured during his terms as West Coast chairman. He was lobbying hard Tuesday to save it. "This is a gigantic, historic vote," he said Tuesday after a marathon of 17 hours of meetings on water on Monday. "The thing that is overwhelming is that West Coast has gone from opposing well field (pumping) reductions and not funding alternative sources to pushing a water supply plan that creates 169-million gallons of new supplies, 153-million of which do not involve ground water. "This is the biggest 180 a government has ever done. I can't even imagine any member government turning it down." Stewart, however, favors rejection. On April 17, Stewart circulated a memorandum listing the advantages and disadvantages of governance. "Settle water wars" was listed as an advantage on the final page of the document. "All of the new water comes from Hillsborough County," Stewart said. "Are we the next to get sucked dry? I think Hillsborough residents don't know about this. I think if they did, they'd rebel." In fact, most of the new water that would come from Hillsborough now flows from the Howard F. Curran advanced waste water treatment plant into Tampa Bay, or into the bay from the Hillsborough River and the Tampa Bypass Canal. A small portion is groundwater. But Stewart is a popular and powerful figure in the county, and people pay attention to his position on environmental issues. Turanchik says Stewart must not prevail. "If governance doesn't go through, then the Partnership plan doesn't go through, then the Legislature adjourns, and all is lost," he said. "The environmental damage starts again. The litigation starts again. The fighting starts again. We may never have this chance again. I'm sorry Mr. Stewart isn't exhibiting more wisdom and perspective." Sonny Vergera, executive director of Swiftmud, said he hopes West Coast members and the Hillsborough EPC recognize "they've got people all over the state looking at what is happening here as a model for water policy everywhere." After Hillsborough votes on the agreement, the plan comes up before the St. Petersburg City Council, which will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday. Council members Larry Williams and Kathleen Ford grilled city attorneys Tuesday, saying they think Florida law requires the matter to be put to a referendum. "You're asking us to vote on something we know nothing about," Williams said. "You're asking us to give up $220-million in assets" referring to the St. Petersburg-owned well heads and pipelines the city is required to sell to West Coast under the deal. "You're putting us in a position that we may clearly violate the (state) Constitution," Williams said. Times staff writer Kelly Ryan contributed to this report. Business | Citrus | Commentary | Entertainment Hernando | Floridian | Obituaries | Pasco | Sports State | Tampa Bay | World & Nation © Copyright 1998 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.