Originally commissioned in 2003, the Tampa Bay seawater desalination plant in Florida, USA, has finally met the targets for which it was designed.
The 25 MGD (95,000 m³/d) reverse-osmosis plant, which returned to full service in November 2007 after extensive revision and repair, has produced an average of 20 MGD (75,000 m³/d) over 12 consecutive months. It has also averaged over 25 MGD for four consecutive months.
These final two benchmarks will trigger the release to Tampa Bay Water of US$ 31.25 million out of a total of US$ 85 million pledged to the project by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, but withheld until the facility hit four key performance benchmarks. The first two were passed in January 2008, when the plant had produced a 12-month average of 12.5 MGD (47,500 m³/d), eliciting a partial payment.