1997年2月，坦帕湾水务公司（Tampa Bay Water）开始了一场近乎史诗般的冒险之旅 为私人大型建筑开发商发布招标书（RFP） 海水淡化厂将为其三个县提供“抗旱”水源 服务区。1999年2月收到了这些建议，并报告了 交付的淡化水价格为每千加仑1.71美元，这是不可撤销的 改变美国的水工业。艰苦的采购过程导致 1999年3月，Stone and Webster（S&W）Water，LLC评选出排名第一的开发商。 这个 坦帕湾水务委员会批准了与S&W签订的购水协议（WPA） Water，LLC于1999年7月19日提出了每天2500万加仑的开发计划 海水淡化设施。 坦帕湾水域寻求海水开发的背景 海水淡化项目始于西海岸地区水务局的“水战”。 “水资源战争 包括在坦帕湾沿岸地区寻找地下水，以及政治和经济活动 使用和需要水资源的人与使用水资源的人之间的法律斗争 正在被消耗，环境受到影响。水资源战争的结果 1998年6月，旧的西海岸地区水务局重组为 坦帕湾水域。 作为重组的一部分，坦帕湾水域进入了“坦帕湾北部” 新的供水和地下水开采减少协议（“伙伴关系”） 与西南佛罗里达水管理区（SWFWMD）签订的协议） 根据合作协议，坦帕湾水务公司开发了Master 水利部计划开发新的替代饮用水源，最好是非地下水饮用水源 水资源年平均允许生产能力至少为8500万吨 每天加仑（mgd）。坦帕湾水域的“胡萝卜”价值1.83亿美元 SWFWMD提供资金，帮助支付新资源。“棍子”是潜在的 违反泵送规定的井场每天最高罚款10000美元 限制。 该伙伴关系协议要求分阶段减少11号反应堆的抽水量 根据严格的时间表，开发现有井场和新水源 要求。 坦帕湾水务公司可能会损失1.83亿美元的资金，并可能 鉴于这项工程的价格标签，还要承担数百万美元的罚款尤其令人望而生畏 新的水资源总体规划为6.19亿美元。总体水资源规划项目覆盖一个区域 大约1000平方英里，包括85英里的大直径管道。这个 水资源总体规划的三个主要组成部分是:25 mgd海水淡化 植物66mgd区域地表水处理厂；还有150亿加仑的离线汽油 水库对水资源总体规划的项目进行财务管理，包括 SWFWMD的资金将需要对坦帕湾进行大幅加息计划 水的顾客。因此，坦帕湾水务公司的政策管理人员将高度关注 专注于满足项目进度，并将项目纳入预算。 由于项目交付时间较短，且希望降低风险和成本， Tampa Bay Water最初选择设计建造自己的运营转移 （DBOOT）海水淡化处理厂的项目交付方法。通过 利用DBOOT方法，坦帕湾水务公司有望实现可观的效益 为其成员国政府。这些好处包括项目的转让 私人开发商面临技术风险，有机会获得创新设计技能，以及 获得长期设施运营和维护成本效益和保障。包括表、图。

In February of 1997 an odyssey of near epic proportion began with Tampa Bay Water's issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a developer of a private large-scale seawater desalination plant to provide a "drought proof" water supply for its three county service area. The proposals were received in February 1999 and the reported price for delivered desalinated water of $1.71 per thousand gallons began an irrevocable change to the American Water Industry. The arduous procurement process resulted in the selection in March 1999 of the top-ranked developer, Stone and Webster (S&W) Water, LLC. The Tampa Bay Water Board approved the Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) with S&W Water, LLC, on July 19, 1999 for the development of a 25 million gallon per day seawater desalination facility. The background within which Tampa Bay Water sought the development of the seawater desalination project began with the West Coast Regional Water Authority's "Water Wars." The Water Wars involved the quest for groundwater in the coastal Tampa Bay area and the political and legal battles between those that used and needed the water and those whose resources were being consumed and the environment impacted. The outcome of the Water Wars was the reorganization in June 1998 of the old West Coast Regional Water Authority into Tampa Bay Water. As part of the reorganization, Tampa Bay Water entered into the "Northern Tampa Bay New Water Supply and Groundwater Withdrawal Reduction Agreement" ("Partnership Agreement") with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). In accordance with the Partnership Agreement, Tampa Bay Water developed the Master Water Plan to develop new alternative, preferably non-groundwater, sources of drinking water totaling an annual average permitted production capacity of at least 85 million gallons per day (mgd). The "carrot" for Tampa Bay Water was $183 million dollars of funding from SWFWMD to help pay for the new sources. The "stick" was the potential for fines of up to $10,000 per day per well for well fields in violation of the pumping limits. The Partnership Agreement called for the phased reduction of pumping from the 11 existing wellfields as the new water sources are developed, pursuant to stringent schedule requirements. The risk to Tampa Bay Water of losing $183 million in funding and being potentially liable for many millions more in fines was especially daunting given the price tag of the new Master Water Plan was $619 million. The Master Water Plan projects cover an area of about 1,000 square miles, and includes 85 miles of large diameter pipelines. The Master Water Plan's three major components are: a 25 mgd seawater desalination plant; a 66 mgd regional surface water treatment plant; and, a 15 billion gallon off-line reservoir. Fiscally managing the Master Water Plan's projects, inclusive of the SWFWMD funding, would require a significant program of rate increases to Tampa Bay Water's customers. Tampa Bay Water's policy managers would therefore be highly focused on meeting the programs project schedule and bringing in the projects on budget. Because of the short schedule for project delivery and a desire to reduce risks and costs, Tampa Bay Water originally selected the Design-Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (DBOOT) project delivery method for the seawater desalination treatment plant. By utilizing the DBOOT approach, Tampa Bay Water expected to realize substantial benefits for its member governments. These benefits included the transfer of the project technology risk to the private developer, have access to innovative design skills, and receive long-term facility operations and maintenance cost efficiencies and guaranties. Includes table, figure.