Water-Filtration Plant Sparks Concern About Impact on Ecology

By Phillip Davis

Published January 29, 2003 at 9:00 PM PST

A new, $100-million plant in Tampa, Fla., converts seawater into fresh drinking water, making the city the first in the country to get a substantial portion of its drinking water from the sea. But some fear the salty concentrate left over from the filtering process will harm the region's rich marine life. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

Phillip Davis

Correspondent Phillip Davis covers South Florida and beyond for NPR. He joined NPR in January 1993, and has reported on such topics as the Elian Gonzalez affair, the disputed 2000 presidential election, and the growing cultural diversity of South Florida. Davis has also filed reports from England, West Africa, and South America for NPR. His pieces can be heard on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and All Things Considered.