HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — As growth continues in the southeast Hillsborough County area more residents are experiencing a common problem.
Cynthia Hood is one of them.
She moved into the Cypress Creek community in Sun City center in November of 2020.
At the time the home inspection went well and the water pressure was fine, but a few months later she and her family began to notice a difference.
"We have noticed when we had our grandkids and our children come and they were just what's wrong. You know soap in your hair and it's just a longer shower if you will or washing a dish," Hood said.
In less than a year's time living in the Cypress Creek community, Cynthia has seen development rise along with her water bill.
Her water bill now exceeds her electric bill and has increased by about $30 dollars since she first moved in.
One of her theories for the lag in water is more population and she's not too far off on that theory.
"The communities are popping up so yes, that is a contributing factor. It's more of a request for increase in demand," Beth Schinella with Hillsborough County Resources Department said.
Schinella said county leaders knew the area would grow and have been preparing for a problem like this for the past two years.
The remedy comes in the form of two capital projects. One of which is an additional storage tank.
"That particular storage tank will provide more volume that will be able to meet the demand during different periods of time," Schinella said.
The other is a booster station that will push additional volumes of water to create more pressure for people like Hood.
"In the grand scheme of things it could be worse, however, there should be more pressure," Hood said.
Schniella said residents should begin to see a difference in their water pressure by December or early next year.
If residents are having problems or would like more information about a water issue they can contact the county at 813-264-3835 or 813-663-3295.
