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Regional Reservoir May Be Drained To Fix Cracks

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 19, 2008

Hillsborough County's regional reservoir could be out of commission for several years while engineers try to fix cracks in the reservoir's inner walls.

Engineers have not figured out why cracks continue to weaken the soil-cement walls in two corners of the 930-acre C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, Jon Kennedy, senior manager of engineering and projects, told Tampa Bay Water board members Monday. Tampa Bay Water runs the reservoir.

While engineers continue their investigation, the water level in the reservoir will be kept at 105 feet above sea level, and then gradually drawn down next spring. The reservoir's capacity is 15 billion gallons, or 135 feet above sea level.

Kennedy said engineers need to find a fix that is "correct and cost-effective."

"We need to stay the course with the investigation and recommend a cure," he said.

The cracks became evident in December 2006. Since then, contractors have been filling them with grout while engineers with two outside firms, HDR and Black and Veatch, investigate the cause. Some of the cracks filled in May using high-pressure grouting have reopened.

HDR engineers thought water in the earthen walls of the reservoir dike could be pressing out, causing the cracks. Tests run in May on a drainage system built to relieve the water pressure were inconclusive as to the system's effectiveness, meaning that theory could neither be confirmed nor ruled out.

Board member Charlie Miranda asked whether there was a time limit beyond which Tampa Bay Water could no longer be compensated for the damages caused by the cracks. The water supplier has spent more than $1 million so far on the investigation and filling the cracks and has another $500,000 budgeted for the problem next year.

General Counsel Rick Lotspeich said the state statutes of limitations for negligence and faulty construction have not run out. He said HDR, which designed the reservoir, is working cooperatively to fix the problem.

"We don't want to threaten lawsuits when the people who are potentially responsible are working with us cooperatively to find the cause of the cracks," Lotspeich said. "But be assured we're not going to give up any of our rights by missing those statutes of limitations."
Tampa Bay Water General Manager Gerald Seeber said even with the reservoir out of action, the region should still have plenty of water during the next couple of years. The utility is building a new surface water treatment plant that will start supplying 60 million gallons of water a day to 120 million gallons a day by the summer of 2010. A desalination plant that came online earlier this year in Apollo Beach provides 25 million gallons a day.

"We have a very robust supply, between our groundwater, surface water and desalination," Seeber said.
Tampa Bay Water supplies water to Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, and to Tampa, St. Petersburg and New Port Richey.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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