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Divers Find Problems In Tampa Reservoir Construction

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By STEVE ANDREWS | News Channel 8

Published: July 1, 2008

TAMPA - TAMPA - Tampa Bay Water estimates there are now between 200 and 300 cracks in the soil cement lining the interior walls of its 3-year-old Hillsborough County reservoir. But that's not the extent of the problems.

A Target 8 investigation has found evidence the $146 million reservoir was not built according to plan.

In November and December, divers inspected walls below the water. In areas where plans required a 12-inch layer of soil cement, divers measured the soil cement at 6, 4 and 3 inches thick.

The soil cement helps control erosion of walls inside the reservoir. In an e-mail to News Channel 8, Tampa Bay Water spokeswoman Michelle Biddle Rapp said engineers chose which spots to inspect based on "the general areas we had seen most of the cracking."

Divers videotaped the inspections. They found gaps and cracks in the soil cement so wide and deep they could insert their hands up to the elbow. Divers also discovered exposed and damaged sections of a geofabric lining underneath the soil cement. The geofabric helps prevent erosion.

Despite the cracking, Tampa Bay Water says the reservoir is structurally sound.

"We do not have a concern that there is a safety issue," said Donald Polmann, director of science and engineering at Tampa Bay Water. "Certainly there were areas that did not receive the full 12 inches. That was the intended amount."

Polmann said Barnard Construction of Bozeman, Mont., was the general contractor for construction of the reservoir. HDR architects and engineers was the design engineer on site during construction.

Barnard Construction spokesman Doug Moreland told News Channel 8 he would get someone to look into the issue.

"I cannot guarantee we will get back to you," Moreland said.

HDR, headquartered in Omaha, Neb., had no comment after saying it first wanted to discuss the soil cement issue with Tampa Bay Water.

Tampa City Council member Charles Miranda, who sits on Tampa Bay Water's board of directors, said he has been told there is no danger of a collapse at the reservoir.

Miranda says the public should get what it pays for.

"If the design called for 12 inches down, I think someone other than the public should be held responsible … to recover the costs and rebuild it like it was supposed to be designed," he said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham, whose district includes the reservoir and who sits on Tampa Bay Water's board of directors, said he was unaware areas of the reservoir did not meet specifications.

"Find out why inspectors signed off," he said. "See who was it who signed their name on that document that said that soil cement is here."

Stay with TBO.com for developments on this story.

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