The Plan to Protect Tampa from a Water Shortage

Warren Hogg is the Chief Science Officer of Tampa Bay Water and one of the key voices behind the region’s modern water supply system. Amelia Brown is the Demand Management Program Manager who leads the effort to help residents and businesses conserve water and plan for long-term demand. Together, they break down how Tampa Bay nearly reached environmental collapse in the 1990s, why groundwater pumping dried out lakes and wetlands, and how desalination, river withdrawals, and a 15 billion gallon reservoir reshaped the region’s entire water strategy. They explain the future pressures of explosive growth, the cost of new infrastructure, the importance of Florida-friendly landscaping, and why every gallon saved delays multimillion-dollar projects. This conversation reveals how water actually gets to your tap and what Tampa Bay must do to secure its water supply for the next generation.0:00:00 - Intro0:03:36 - History of Tampa Bay Water0:21:37 - Water Infrastructure0:26:47 - Saving Water and Rebates0:45:01 - Future Planning1:13:18 - Waste Water1:35:14 - Outro