It was reported that some board members questioned the viability of the pending reservoir rebuild during the April 16 closed-door meeting. But a utility spokesperson says Tampa Bay Water is proceeding with the $162.4-million contract.

Design-build team leader Kiewit Infrastructure Group, Omaha, is nearing 100% design, and could receive notice to proceed with construction “sometime between Labor Day and Halloween,” says Seeber. The contract, approved last June, will rebuild the existing facility’s embankment and expand it by 3 billion gallons.

The design that Kiewit is preparing to implement will include stair-step cement for the embankment, instead of the flat-plate soil cement that HDR utilized.

Seeber says the utility plans this summer to issue between $100 million and $125 million in bonds to cover construction of the reservoir and other projects.

“It has always been TBW’s intention to issue additional bonds for a portion of the construction costs for the permanent fix and the expanded capacity of the reservoir facility,” Seeber says.

HDR is also moving on to its next project, a reservoir and stormwater treatment area in the Florida Everglades.