Interest seemed to dry up years ago in a regional, reclaimed water network while rainfall was plentiful.
But with a stubborn drought in its third year, some Pasco County commissioners appeared eager last week to jump-start the stalled project to expand reclaimed water.
Tampa city officials also seem interested in reviving the joint project, commission Chairman Jack Mariano said.
Many residents in the area use half of the water at their homes to irrigate lawns, Mariano noted. That consumes millions of gallons of drinking water.
Reclaimed systems treat sewage to produce water good enough for irrigation.
Expansion of reclaimed water might mean Tampa Bay Water could avoid building a second desalination plant, Mariano suggested.
Another desalination plant is among Tampa Bay Water's long-range options through 2017, Gerald Seeber, Tampa Bay Water general manager, told commissioners.
Reclaimed water could be less expensive to produce than desalinated supplies for drinking water, Mariano said.
Tampa Bay Water relies on the existing desalination plant for about 10 percent of potable water supplies, Seeber noted.
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