Desalination plant gets attention

TAMPA,, Fla., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The construction of an environmentally friendly water desalination plant for Florida's Tampa Bay area is drawing scrutiny from around the world because of promises it will be cost effective.

Beginning Dec. 31, 2002, the plant is expected to produce 25 million gallons of water a day -- 10 percent of the area's supply -- at a cost of slightly more than $2 per thousand gallons, Tampa Bay Water spokeswoman Michelle Biddle said Monday.

The relatively low cost is what is the attention of government officials from San Diego to Australia to Singapore.

Australian officials have made inquiries and the prime minister of Singapore has led a delegation to Tampa to take a look at the project and study the contract with Poseidon Resources Inc., which is building the plant.

Poseidon is also doing a feasibility plant for San Diego.

"The plant in Tampa Bay has certainly spurred renewed interest, especially among policy makers to look at seawater desalination," said Bob Yamada, senior engineer for the San Diego County Water Authority."

"Price was the first thing that really intrigued people," said Don Lindeman, head of the Tampa project.

There is nothing new about desalination. About 13,600 plants worldwide make 6.8 billion gallons of drinking water out of salt water every day. But there is no plant in this country that produces a public water supply.

There is one plant in Santa Barbara, Calif., and another in Key West. But both are for emergency supplies only and are sitting idle.

Desalination has long been viewed as too expensive compared with more traditional supplies such as well fields and rivers. But new technology has enabled Tampa Bay Water to drive the cost down to close to the $2 mark at the $160 million plant, which is in the early stages of construction.

Biddle said there is a water shortage in the Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties and the 10 percent of the supply is part of an overall master plan to alleviate the shortfall.

"There are 11 well fields in the region and the plant will help reduce pumping," she said.