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Tampa Bay Water is holding open house meetings for residents to learn about road and lane closures that exceed 30 days in duration for the South Hillsborough Pipeline construction.
These road and lane closures will occur intermittently over the next 3 years and are necessary to build a new 26-mile pipeline by the end of 2028 to meet the County’s fast-growing drinking water needs. The approved route was selected at the request of Hillsborough County to improve water quality, pressure and service in its western service area. Pipeline construction is slated to begin in October 2025 and continue through the end of 2028.
Meetings will be held by section (see map below to find your section). Residents may drop in anytime between 6-7:30 p.m.
If you cannot attend one of the open houses, you can still learn about the closures and provide input until noon on Friday, July 18.
For more information go to SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com or call (813) 485-6480 or email shpinfo@tampabaywater.org.
Tampa Bay Water is requesting that the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approve the road and lane closures at its Aug. 6, 2025, meeting (For information on how to provide comment to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, go to http://bit.ly/4455QGq.)
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting is asked to advise the project team at least three days prior to meeting by calling (813) 485-6480 or email shpinfo@tampabaywater.org.
The South Hillsborough Pipeline project team is beginning preconstruction surveys this summer of selected structures within private property located along the planned pipeline route. If your property is directly adjacent to the pipeline route, you will receive a certified letter from Seismic Surveys (SSI) prior to the start of construction in your area. SSI is the firm that will perform these inspections. This letter will offer a voluntary preconstruction interior and exterior survey of your home, including photographic and written documentation of your property’s “before” condition. This survey is a precautionary measure used to protect all parties involved.
We encourage you to take advantage of these free inspections. Inspections will occur over the next 12-16 months, preceding construction as it progresses.
Also, in late June, you may see surveyors in the field and crews identifying existing utilities and taking pre-construction video along the route.
If you have questions or comments, please contact the project team at shpinfo@tampabaywater.org or call 813-485-6480. Please stay tuned to the project website at SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com and look for emails regarding future project updates.
Crews will begin preparing for construction of the South Hillsborough Pipeline starting in July 2025. You may see surveyors in the field identifying reference points and construction boundaries, or crews clearing trees or trimming tree canopies where construction will eventually take place.
The project team is currently on schedule to begin construction as early as this fall at trenchless crossing locations. Trenchless crossings are areas where the pipeline will be installed by tunnels under roads and waterways to minimize impacts. Tunnelling operations will take place under Falkenburg Road, State Road 60, Alafia River, Boyette Road, Balm Boyette Road and several other locations. Crews are scheduled to begin open cut construction in March 2026, which involves digging a trench into which the pipe is installed.
Tampa Bay Water will provide advance notice before construction begins and will update the schedule once exact dates are known and permits are received. Visit SouthHillsboroughPipeline.com for more information.
The project team reached an important milestone with the completion of the 90% design plans for the South Hillsborough Pipeline. These plans include the revised alignment of the pipeline, as well as detailed descriptions and technical aspects of the pipe profile. The 90% design plans also include information on the trenchless crossings (tunneling) that will be performed for the project.
Tampa Bay Water’s project team is now working to finalize the plans and obtaining all the pertinent permits, so it can finalize the project’s costs and schedule.
Tampa Bay Water has received the green light from the Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition & Protection Program (ELAPP) General Committee to request a new alignment through the conservation easement owned by Fishhawk Ranch Community Development District (CDD) and Hillsborough County. This comes after Florida Fish and Wildlife also gave the go-ahead to pursue the new route.
The new preferred route alignment will follow an unpaved trail within a construction easement to cross the easement south to Boyette Road. To move forward with the new alignment, Tampa Bay Water must acquire easements from the Fishhawk CDD and Hillsborough County, and Hillsborough County’s Board of County Commissioners and Florida Fish and Wildlife must approve the acquisition and mitigation plans.
If approved, the new alignment will reduce impacts to trees, since it takes advantage of a previously altered pathway. This route is also shorter, so it will have lower construction costs and reduce impacts to residents.
Tampa Bay Water thanks residents for their input in refining this portion of the pipeline route.
Tampa Bay Water has received the green light from Florida Fish and Wildlife to request a new alignment through the conservation easement owned by Fishhawk Ranch Community Development District (CDD) and Hillsborough County. The new preferred route alignment, shown in yellow on the map below, will follow an unpaved trail within a construction easement to cross the conservation easement south to Boyette Road. If approved, the new alignment will reduce impacts to trees, since it takes advantage of a previously altered pathway. This route is also shorter, so it will have lower construction costs and reduce impacts to residents.
Tampa Bay Water will request approval of this route modification from the Fishhawk Ranch CDD and Hillsborough County Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) later this year. Tampa Bay Water will present at ELAPP’s general committee meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. on March 31, then request Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approval later in 2025.
Tampa Bay Water thanks residents for their input in refining this portion of the pipeline route.
If you have questions about these meetings, please reach out to the project team via email or phone at shpinfo@tampabaywater.org or (813) 485-6480.
Tampa Bay Water has opened registration for its February 12 South Hillsborough Pipeline Virtual Public Meeting. This meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., is open to anyone who is unable to attend one of the in-person public meetings currently taking place. Click HERE for a list of those in-person meetings.
The virtual meeting presentation will review the pipeline route and schedule for the project, as well as information on the types of construction that will be used, and how construction may impact the community. After the presentation, members of the project team will answer questions and take public comments.
The presentation and question and answer session will also be conducted in Spanish in a separate virtual breakout room. Tampa Bay Water’s land agents will also be available to answer questions regarding temporary and permanent easement acquisition.
Residents and businesses can join the virtual meeting from the comfort and accessibility of their computers or smartphones or with a call-in phone number.
To register for the virtual meeting, click the button below.
Starting March 2024, residents may see and hear crews working in the field on the South Hillsborough Pipeline project. Workers will be taking soil borings, locating underground utilities, surveying, and/or trimming trees in the right of way. Please use caution when driving near workers.
Contact Us:
Phone: 813-485-6480.
Email: shpinfo@tampabaywater.org
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