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Suncoast Pasco News

Point raised

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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: October 21, 2009

Monday morning, the board of Tampa Bay Water voted to spend $1 million for a consultant to help the regional wholesale utility select the firm that will get the job of fixing the many cracks that have developed in its 15-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Reservoir. Fixing this crack problem at the reservoir, which is less than five years old, is going to cost almost as much as the $146 million it cost to build it. When you're throwing around that kind of dough, what's another million tacked onto the bottom line?

The reservoir is supposed to store water until Tampa Bay Water and its customers in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties need it at times when demand is high and the supply from wells and other sources is low. During the recent drought, however, the reservoir went dry because concerns about the cracks kept Tampa Bay Water from completely filling the reservoir.

One board member, Tampa City Councilman Charlie Miranda, questioned Monday whether the staffs of the utility's member counties and cities were up to the task of determining if the firms seeking the contract to repair the reservoir were financially healthy enough to tackle the job. Good one, Charlie.

Given the history of the utility, which includes years of costly repairs at and legal battles over its desalination plant on Tampa Bay, we're glad someone - besides us, that is - has begun asking this sort of pointed question.

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