FishHawk Resident Lobbies for Reclaimed Water

Motivated by the promise of a green lawn without the expense, a FishHawk Ranch resident is on a mission to bring reclaimed water to his neighborhood.

Nick Barron, who lives in the Garden District, is in the process of obtaining the signatures from neighbors required to get the county to install reclaimed water lines in his neighborhood, which includes the area between FishHawk Crossing Boulevard and Parkset Drive, north of Dorman Road.

Barron, who has lived on Palmettorun Circle for four years, is the owner of The Sweetwater Co., a lawn maintenance and landscaping service.

 “One day I was over in Bridgewater where one of my customers had just put in new sod. He told me he watered every day with reclaimed water and it cost just $9 a month,” said Barron. “That really spurred my interest, and I decided to see about getting reclaimed water in my neighborhood. I didn’t realize there were were no restrictions on reclaimed water.”

Some neighborhoods in FishHawk Ranch, including the eastern side of the Garden District, were constructed with reclaimed water lines that draw water from the county’s wastewater treatment facility. However, Barron’s neighborhood, with 220 homes, wasn’t included. So Barron is trying to have the community retrofitted with reclaimed water lines.

It’s been a lengthy process, he said.

“It took a couple of years to put all the facts together and then start the petition drive,” said Barron, who worked with Hillsborough County Water Department engineer Nick LoPresti on the project. “Then, last year, the county did an engineering study and found there is enough water pressure to install lines.”

Now Barron, with the help of neighbor Bill Majorana, is in the process of getting the signatures of 51 percent of the homeowners in the Garden District, 108 signatures, by the June 26 deadline.

“That’s the deadline for me to turn in an affidavit to Hillsborough County with 51 percent of signatures,” said Barron. “Once it’s turned in, it gets scheduled for bid. Construction could begin within eight months so would could have reclaimed water in a year and half.”

But the project comes with a price.

The estimated cost of the project is $1.05 million. It will require the county installing new distribution lines along the neighborhood’s roads.

The prepayment for the reclaimed water hookup per parcel is $5,927. Residents can elect to pay this over a 30-year period at a 6.2 percent interest rate, bringing the cost down to $440 a year.

“The water bill savings more than pay for the $440 cost using an average savings of $75 per month, which adds up to $900 a year,” said Barron.

The upside is residents can water their lawns as much as they wish for around $9 a month.

“That’s a significant savings,” said Barron. “Right now, our water bill is around $150 to $200 a month.”

Barron added that it may be a now-or-never proposition for the residents because of capacity and water pressure issues.

“If the Garden District passes on this opportunity, it would probably be offered to Ternwood,” said Barron. “It’s an either/or thing. There is not enough capacity available for both.”

The Reclaimed Water Improvement Unit ordinance was developed in 1992 to provide a way for residents in existing subdivisions to finance a reclaimed water distribution system within their subdivision.

In 2010, Hillsborough County used 55 percent of its wastewater flow as reclaimed water supply on an annual basis, with a current capacity of over 36 million gallons per day, according to the county’s website. On an annual basis 20 million gallons a day of reclaimed water was used by more than 15,000 customers, including single-family homes, golf courses, commercial properties and industry.

Although highly treated and disinfected, reclaimed water is available only for landscape irrigation and industrial uses.

For information, contact Barron at 813-777-7027.