By Kate Barker

At a public meeting in January, country representatives told residents that the construction of the reclaimed water pipe along Lithia Pinecrest Rd. would be a worthwhile project for residents. But as the drive down the busy road is taking longer and longer each day, with lane closures and the resurfacing of a section of the road to look forward to, residents are asking who is really benefiting from the project.

River Hills resident Richard Steinbrueck states, "After enduring the traffic snarls created by the laying of pipe down Lithia Pinecrest, I was curious about what was available to residents of the area and the costs."

According to the Hillsborough County website, reclaimed water is defined as wastewater given a high degree of treatment and then used to benefit residents. Its use aids in the conservation of the potable (drinking) water supply and is cheaper. The water can not be used for consumption or sanitary purposes, but homes on the reclaimed water system have no restrictions on how much they can use.

According to Hillsborough County Water Department senior engineer Jim Duncan, the project is in the third phase of a master plan developed at least five years ago to bring reclaimed water to FishHawk Ranch.

"The project means that we can offer reclaimed water to new residents and also will increase the water pressure for current customers," says Duncan.

The $4.3 million budget, according to Duncan, is split between the water department and the South West Florida Water Management District, which invests in projects that help save the limited amount of drinking water available in the area.

"Our half of the funding comes directly from the people using our services," says Duncan. "We can not spend any money that we have not made in previous years from our rate payers. Therefore, people can not complain that we are using their tax dollars for projects like this."

According to Duncan, the project is moving along on schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.