Lawsuit Possible Over Cracks At $146-Million Tampa Project

Tampa Bay Water is preparing to sue the designers and builders of its three-year-old, 15-billion-gallon C.W. "Bill" Young Regional Reservoir, which has been experiencing significant cracking along the interior embankment for nearly two years. An October 9 memorandum from Clearwater, FL-based Tampa Bay Water states that analyses of the cracking in the reservoir's flat-plate soil-cement lining has led to a preliminary determination the cracking is the result of problems related to the design of the reservoir embankment and/or its construction and/or construction oversight, or a combination of these. The cracking was discovered when the owner was drawing down the water level during the dry season. Severe cracking is occurring in the northeast and southwest portions, which together make up an estimated 7% of the reservoir's perimeter.