The Daily Dig
Garney has broken ground on the One Water South Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Project in southern Hillsborough County, Florida. The $1.2 billion multicomponent system is the largest capital improvement project in the county's history. The Kansas City, Missouri-based contractor is delivering the work under a progressive design-build contract.
The project's centerpiece is a new advanced wastewater treatment facility rated at 24 million gallons per day. The design can accommodate expansion to 30 million gallons per day with minimal disruption to ongoing operations. The scope also includes the Balm Road Super Lift Station, sized at 54 million gallons per day with a 5-million-gallon emergency storage tank.
The pipeline scope includes roughly 10 miles of wastewater lines and 13 miles of reclaimed water lines, with pipe sizing running from 42 inches to 48 inches of ductile iron, for a combined total of more than 20 miles. Once operational, the system will convey wastewater to the new treatment facility and return reclaimed water into the county's reuse network.
Pipeline work got underway in fall 2025. The groundbreaking marks the start of vertical construction on the treatment plant and lift stations. Initial flows are expected by September 2028, with full project completion targeted for 2030.
Earlier this year, Garney also broke ground on a $505.7 million water pipeline in Hillsborough County. The contractor now has two major active water infrastructure projects running simultaneously in the same county.
Snapshot:
Project Name: One Water South Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Project
Owner: Hillsborough County, Florida
General Contractor: Garney (Kansas City, Missouri)
Delivery Method: Progressive design-build
Location: Southern Hillsborough County, Florida
Sector: Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
Project Value: $1.2 billion
Significance: Largest capital improvement project in Hillsborough County history
Scope: New advanced wastewater treatment facility, Balm Road Super Lift Station, more than 20 miles of pipeline infrastructure
Treatment Capacity: 24 million gallons per day (expandable to 30 MGD)
Lift Station Capacity: 54 million gallons per day
Emergency Storage: 5-million-gallon tank
Pipeline Detail: Approximately 10 miles wastewater lines, 13 miles reclaimed water lines, 42-inch to 48-inch ductile iron pipe
Pipeline Work Start: Fall 2025
Vertical Construction Start: April 2026
Initial Flows Target: September 2028
Full Completion: 2030
Related Active Project: $505.7 million Hillsborough County water pipeline (separate, unconnected)
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Progressive design-build at this scale means design and construction run concurrently. Procurement decisions get made well before full construction documents exist, so suppliers and subcontractors who wait for complete drawings before engaging will already be behind.
Primary trade packages on a project this far into delivery are most likely committed. Specialty trades, second-tier subcontractors, and material suppliers still have real opportunities to pursue as vertical construction drives activity through the back half of 2026 and beyond.
Garney now carries more than $1.7 billion in active water contracts across two projects in a single Florida county. For anyone doing business development in the Tampa Bay region, that level of work concentrated around one contractor is a signal worth acting on.
