While reclaimed water is already heavily used in Hillsborough, the County has a plan to make a good system even better. Hillsborough is one of the first counties in the nation to create a plan to maximize the availability of reclaimed water through a project known as the Water Infrastructure and Supply Enhancement (WISE) Project.

"Our future is to be a zero discharge utility..."

Bart Weiss

The WISE Project (partially funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and SWFWMD) will make the County’s existing reclaimed water system even more efficient. The County’s beneficial use of its reclaimed water system flows in South Central system will increase from about 50 percent to 100 percent, making Hillsborough one of the first large-scale wastewater utilities to utilize all of its reclaimed water flows. The WISE project will reduce potable (or “drinkable”) water use by reclaimed water customers by as much as 50 percent.

Golf Course and Development

The WISE Project will not only reduce the demand for potable or drinkable water, but also reduce saltwater intrusion in the Floridan Aquifer, reduce over tons of annual nutrient loading to Tampa Bay and enhance the environmental health of the Sydney Dover Trails Park.

An added potential benefit of the project is to store and use additional reclaimed water flows from Plant City and the City of Tampa. By facilitating the use of reclaimed water in those areas, the project will have an even greater environmental benefit for the region.