Bowing to state concerns over the increased potential for sinkhole activity near Tampa Bay Water's C.W. "Bill" Young Regional Reservoir in Lithia, Fla., the water utility has scuttled its $41-million, 3-billion-gallon planned expansion of the facility.
Gerald Seeber, Tampa Bay Water general manager, canceled the project after an April 18 letter from the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection (FDEP) hinted the agency likely would reject TBW's permit application. FDEP cited concerns that an expansion would overload the capacity of the area's geology to resist sinkhole development, noting the rapid drawdown of area water levels due to agricultural well pumping.