When the City of Tarpon Springs, Florida, decided to build its own water treatment plant, it selected reverse osmosis.
The city had purchased water from Pinellas County but wanted an independent supply, says Ronald Claunch, the RO plant’s lead operator. With its own plant, the city can set prices and capital budgets that allow for future development, says Earl Nash, water division manager.Construction began in 2013, and the plant opened in 2015. CDM Smith created a 30% design, Tetra Tech handled the remainder of the design, and Wharton-Smith was the general contractor. The design-build approach enabled process adjustments based on communication
