The repairs to the transformer at the Tampa Bay desalination plant have been completed, but the plant is still restricted in production because of work on the Big Bend power station that supplies the plant with warm water.
Chuck Carden, Tampa Bay Water’s director of operations and facilities, told D&WR on 4 May 2009 that the transformer was on-line.
“The plant is currently producing a little under 20 MGD (75,000 m³/d),” he said. “We are ready to produce at capacity (95,000 m³/d), but are limited in what we can produce while Tampa Electric (TECO) completes work at their plant.”
The work at TECO is due to be completed by 11 May 2009. The cost for producing desalinated seawater at the plant is in the $3.45 range agreed under the American Water-Acciona Agua contract.