Temple Terrace officials are backing away from a roughly $93 million proposal to connect the city to Hillsborough County's water system and are instead leaning toward rebuilding local treatment facilities — a choice that could still bring a noticeable jump in water bills.
Here's what to know
At a special workshop on water and sewer budgeting, the City Council told staff to stop advancing the county connection and focus on a city-controlled alternative, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.
Officials said the leading local option would use nanofiltration along with a deep injection well at Whiteway and would cost about $73 million.
Officials said that approach would be less expensive than the county pipeline plan, which was estimated at around $93 million.
Public Works director Jason Warrenfeltz said the county connection would also take five to six years, with significant permitting involved, and would require 3.2 miles of new pipe through a wetland, under Interstate 75, and across the Hillsborough River.
Chambers said the council should move past the county-versus-city debate.
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"The first thing we need to do is put to bed the issue between the county and city thing," he said.
The bigger issue is the deadline. Federal PFAS standards take effect in 2031, requiring water systems to reduce PFAS to below 4 parts per trillion, and Temple Terrace does not expect its current options to be completed before then.
More background
PFAS are synthetic chemicals linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and other health concerns, and stricter drinking water rules are forcing communities around the country to weigh costly compliance options.
The city's near-term answer would be a temporary granulated activated carbon filtration system with an upfront cost of about $5.5 million. But Temple Terrace's hard water means the filter media may need to be replaced about every 45 days instead of roughly every six months.
Those frequent replacements are what drive up the price. At about $750,000 per media change, the temporary setup would cost about $5.2 million per year and roughly $20 million to $25 million over several years.
That expense could show up in customer bills. Financial adviser Peter Napoli said pairing the temporary system with the permanent plant could require a 35% rate increase in 2027, adding about $15 to $20 a month for a customer using 4,000 gallons.
What's being done?
Council support appeared strong for both the temporary carbon system and the long-term nanofiltration project, with the main split centered on how to manage the rate increase.
Some council members wanted staff to examine phasing in higher rates over two or three years, while Kravets argued for enacting the full increase up front and reducing it later if the city's finances allow.
Ross asked staff to return with another option that spreads the temporary system's cost over three years before the council holds a formal vote. Residents are expected to have a chance to speak at that later meeting.
Kravets said he wants more dependable estimates before fully discarding the county option.
"I have very low level of belief in the numbers at any given time," he said. "Every single meeting we've been in, the numbers have been different."
City officials have stressed that the planning is aimed at meeting future federal rules, not fixing a present-day violation.
As Ross put it: "I don't want to lose sight of the fact that, despite the concerns and all the hype, Temple Terrace's water is in compliance with all federal and state regulations currently."
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