Multi-year infrastructure improvement project complete in 4 Tampa neighborhoods

Tampa completes major infrastructure project

A multi-year project to upgrade miles of water and wastewater pipes is now complete in four Tampa neighborhoods. FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The City of Tampa has been trying to improve infrastructure in the neighborhoods that need it the most. A multi-year project is now complete in four neighborhoods to upgrade miles of water and wastewater pipes.

What To Know:

The recent improvements began in June 2022 and tackled water and wastewater infrastructure in MacFarlane Park, Virginia Park, Forest Hills and East Tampa. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the infrastructure in these neighborhoods was 80 to 100 years old.

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"These were the worst of the worst in our pipes," Castor said.

City leaders said the projects are being funded by taxpayer dollars from residents' water bills. Over the last several years, contracted crews replaced and repaired 18 miles of water pipeline and 25 miles of wastewater pipeline throughout the four neighborhoods.

"We respond to breaks in water mains and cave-ins to our wastewater pipes, literally to the tune of millions of dollars a year in repairs," Castor said.

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After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Castor said there were hundreds of cave-ins across the city. Crews used trenchless technology to complete a lot of the work, in order to minimize the impact above ground for residents.

"As far as the wastewater, that, again, to be less invasive in neighborhoods, they do a fiberglass liner that's pressurized that acts as a new pipe inside the old pipes," Castor said.

Crews said they started the project with lining wastewater mains and rehabbing manholes, then transitioned to water line replacements and repairs. Castor said these improvements are also saving the city millions of dollars in repairs to water main breaks.

"It increases the volume, the water pressure in many instances, which helps us with fire suppression, with our fire hydrants and so forth," Castor said. "But also, improving the quality of the water. If your water's being pumped through 80-to-100-year-old pipes versus being pumped through brand new, you're increasing the water quality."

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Local perspective:

"If those pipes stop working, your life completely changes," Darcy Goshorn, who lives in MacFarlane Park, said.

Homeowners in some of these neighborhoods said infrastructure improvement has been one of the top priorities.

"Our city is getting older," Bev Kieny, who lives in Forest Hills, said. "We need infrastructure to be repaired and replaced. And just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't need help."

Many of these neighborhoods have dealt with major flooding before. Some homeowners said they're happy to see the infrastructure being improved in order to help prevent even more flooding.

"It just seemed like as soon as you repair a little piece of old pipe, the pressure makes an old pipe break somewhere else," Kieny said.

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With hurricane season just days away, Goshorn said the completed improvements bring some peace of mind.

"There are a lot of risks during storm season and just having one of those big ticket items off of that risk list is, yeah it is heartening," Goshorn said.

What's next:

The PIPES program is expected to take 25 to 30 years to fully complete. City leaders said they're prioritizing improvements by which neighborhoods have the oldest infrastructure or the infrastructure that is in need of repairs the most.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones.

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