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Tampa Bay Water Sues Over Reservoir Cracks

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By STEVE ANDREWS | News Channel 8

Published: December 10, 2008

Updated: 12/10/2008 06:54 pm

Tampa Bay Water filed a lawsuit today against three companies seeking compensation for cracks that have damaged the walls of the C.W. "Bill" Young Regional Reservoir in south Hillsborough County.

The lawsuit alleges the cracks are the result of a faulty design by HDR Engineering Inc., that Barnard Construction Co. failed to build the reservoir according to the design, and cites poor construction maintenance by Construction Dynamics Group.

"We didn't get what we paid for, and we plan to hold the companies responsible for design and construction accountable for their work," said Gerald Seeber, general manager of Tampa Bay Water. "We don't expect the ratepayers to bail out the contractors."

The lawsuit does not ask for specific monetary damages. The utility has spent about $1 million so far investigating and filling the cracks. Seeber said the costs could rise to $2 million by May. All of that, he said, is considered a temporary fix.

The cracks have had engineers puzzled since they first appeared in December 2006. The latest theory is that water underneath the soil-cement inner wall is not draining adequately.

"The water that saturates that soil wedge isn't leaving and falling through the soil as quickly as it should," he said. "That differential in water pressure is what we're addressing, and that is what we believe is causing the cracking."

Seeber said Tampa Bay Water engineers should be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the cracks and have a preliminary plan to repair them by June. Constructing a permanent fix may not be completed until 2013.

"That process of designing and constructing a fix will take us about four-and-a-half to five years," Seeber said.

The $146 million reservoir went into operation in June 2005. Larger-than-expected cracks first appeared in December 2006. Some measured 4 inches wide and up to 300 feet long. Tampa Bay Water poured a grout mixture into the cracks. In many cases, the repairs did not hold.

After the holidays, Black & Veatch, the agency's system engineer, plans to conduct ground-penetrating radar tests around the perimeter of the reservoir. Engineers want to know if the dirt lying beneath the soil cement has eroded away. If so, they need to repair any voids. The tests will cost the agency $191,000.

Reporter Mike Salinero contributed to this report. Steve Andrews can be reached at (813) 221-5779.

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