Crews are moving dirt on a $1.2 billion wastewater system in southern Hillsborough County, Fla., the largest capital improvement project in the county’s history.
Garney, a contractor based in Kansas City, Mo., broke ground on the One Water – South Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Project, a multi-component system designed to expand water treatment and reuse capacity, according to a news release Monday.
The contractor will deliver the project through a progressive design-build contract, which includes the construction of a new advanced wastewater treatment facility and more than 20 miles of pipeline infrastructure.
The treatment facility will eventually handle 24 million gallons per day, with design considerations to expand to 30 million gallons per day in the future with minimal disruption to operations, according to the release. The project also includes the 54 million gallon per day Balm Road Super Lift Station with a 5 million gallon emergency storage tank.
“What makes this project stand out is that it goes beyond adding treatment capacity,” Eric Wagner, director of operations for Garney’s southeast plant, said in the statement. “At a time when growing communities are looking for more sustainable ways to plan ahead, Hillsborough County is leading by example through its long-term investment in infrastructure.”
The scope of the project also includes the installation of approximately 10 miles of wastewater pipes and 13 miles of reclaimed water lines, ranging from 42-inch to 48-inch ductile iron pipe. Once completed, the system will transport wastewater to the new facility and return reclaimed water to the county’s reuse network.
The award adds to Garney’s expanding role in major water infrastructure construction in the Tampa Bay region. For example, earlier this year, the contractor also started building one $505.7 million water pipeline in Hillsborough County.
The projects are unrelated and will not be connected in any way, Garney told Construction Dive.
One Water’s milestone marks the vertical construction phase of the treatment plant and lift stations, as piping work began in the fall of 2025. Officials expect the facility to begin treating initial flows in September 2028, with full project completion expected by 2030, according to the release.
