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Tampa Bay Water Needs Open, Resourceful Leader

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 29, 2007

Reports about the announced retirement of Jerry Maxwell as general manager of Tampa Bay Water have focused on the regional drinking water supplier's high-profile failures: The desalination plant that is years behind schedule, cracks that have turned up in the embankment of the 15-billion gallon reservoir, the utility's conflicts with local governments.

But the hard-charging engineer also accomplished much during his 12 years overseeing water supply, especially reducing the area's dependence on groundwater. The job of meeting the water needs of Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties should not be underestimated. Maxwell deserves a lot of credit.

Still, he also could be thin-skinned and confrontational. Diplomacy and openness were not strong points. When miscues occurred - either major like the desalination debacle or minor like the reservoir cracks appear to be - the agency became highly defensive. This, eventually, hurt the agency's credibility with the public and even some board members.

And that's unfortunate because Tampa Bay Water's strategy of developing many different sources of water throughout the region is the only way to meet the demands of West Central Florida's growing population without ruining the environment.

It's important the board find a successor to Maxwell who can do more than oversee a multitude of complex projects. The new manager should also be a strong communicator, someone who will be candid with the public, open to countering views and appreciate the sometimes conflicting interests of member governments. Another must: a commitment to protecting natural resources
Residents should not forget what things were like before Tampa Bay Water was formed to manage drinking water policies for Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties in 1998.

The previous water-governing body, the toothless West Coast Regional Water Supply, was dominated by Pinellas, which held the rights to wellfields in Hillsborough and Pasco. Those counties could do little as overpumping shriveled marshes, lowered lakes and ruined homeowners' wells. The communities were constantly engaged in 'water wars.'

The establishment of Tampa Bay Water changed that. Pinellas gave up control of the wellfields, and Tampa Bay Water became a true regional utility, with elected officials from the member governments sitting on the nine-member board.

The interlocal agreement that established the utility mandated it reduce pumping at problem wellfields from 158 million gallons a day to 90 million by the end of this year. Despite some mistakes, the utility has managed to dramatically reduce the region's dependence on groundwater pumping and should meet its goals for finding new water sources, particularly if the desalination plant soon meets expectations.

The regional, multi-source approach has proved the most efficient and responsible way to meet the area's drinking water needs. Maxwell got Tampa Bay Water off and running. But the next leader, in addition to continuing the development of new water sources, needs to ensure this critically important agency wins the public's trust.

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