York Supervisors skeptical of regional sewer plan

York County:

“The York County Board of Supervisors remains skeptical of a regional sewer plan proposed by the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. During a meeting Tuesday, the board was told there was still no cost estimate for adopting the plan that consolidates sewer improvement projects under the district. All localities must approve the plan by the end of the month to move forward with a rate study, said Brian Woodward, the county's chief of utilities. ‘How do the powers that be expect a decision on the backs of the taxpayers without knowing what the cost will be?’ Supervisor Walt Zaremba said. ‘They want a blank check.’

The plan leaves systems under local control while placing the burden of high-dollar repairs on the regional body. It means higher rates for residents, but the increases could be greater if the localities decided to tackle the infrastructure work on their own…

The supervisors worry not only that the cost could come back much higher than expected, but also that, because York's sewer system is newer than others in the region, it wouldn't see work done on its pipes and would be subsidizing improvements in older communities.”

~ Writes Ali Rockett of the Daily Press

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Loudoun Water Purchases Beaverdam, Goose Creek Reservoirs

Loudoun County:

“Loudoun Water has finalized the purchase of all Loudoun-based drinking water assets from the City of Fairfax. The $30 million purchase includes the Goose Creek Water Treatment Plant, Goose Creek and Beaverdam reservoirs and a pipeline along the W&OD Trail to the Fairfax County line.

Fairfax established its drinking water system in Loudoun County during the late 1950s. Since that time, Fairfax has provided drinking water to Loudoun Water customers through a wholesale water purchase agreement, while sending the majority of drinking water to its customers via a cross-county transmission pipeline. As a result of Loudoun Water's purchase, City of Fairfax residents will be served by Fairfax Water, and Loudoun Water will dedicate the full 11-million-gallon-per-day capacity of the Goose Creek Water Treatment Plant to serving its growing customer base.

‘By purchasing these assets, we seized a strategic opportunity to own our future and have better control over significant operations impacting our customers,’ Loudoun Water General Manager Fred Jennings said in a statement announcing the purchase. ‘The value of owning these assets is only enhanced by their strategic fit with our initiative to establish new drinking water resources along the Potomac River and Goose Creek. This purchase complements our capital programs and provides our customers reliability and sustainability long into the future.’”

~Writes Erika Jacobson Moore of Leesburg Today

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How much does Urbanna water service actually cost?

Town of Urbanna:

“The Town of Urbanna once provided its residents with sewer service, but turned that responsibility over to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District in the late 1990s. Since then, the most important function of the town office has been to provide drinking water. The job of figuring out how much the water system actually costs has been taken up by council member Joe Heyman.

The town council has been without a designated treasurer since Bob Calves resigned in March, 2013. Although he is not the town treasurer, Heyman has been working with town staff in an attempt to create a monthly budget report. After months of scouring town financial line items, Heyman is trying to figure how much time the town staff devotes to water issues ‘so we can understand how much the water system really does cost us,’ he told council members who were present at the January 16 council work session.

Heyman said it’s vital to figure where the town staff spends most of its time, so the town council can focus on that subject—be it zoning, water, or the Old Tobacco Warehouse. ‘We can’t really explain how much the water system costs us,’ he said. Heyman said that a town employee told him about a year ago that 60% of his time was devoted to the water system.”

 ~Writes Tom Chillemi of the SSentinel

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Recycling center going in despite neighborhood concerns

Henrico County:

“A new recycling center that worried residents and parents in western Henrico County will be built, but with changes to the original plan. The center will be near Pemberton Elementary School, Harry F. Byrd Middle School and West End Montessori School.

Neighbors were worried about the facility’s lights, impact on wildlife, noise and, perhaps most of all, traffic. The Pemberton Elementary School PTA sent its president to talk to the Board of Supervisors, in part about the traffic on Quioccasin Road. The board approved the recycling center last week, despite residents’ reservations. The center — an unmanned facility that is essentially a group of Dumpsters — will be on Shane Road, just off Quioccasin Road. The gated facility will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It’s intended as a place for residents of multi-family housing who lack curbside recycling pickup to drop off their household recyclables.

County officials have lowered the height proposed for the lights, reworked the grading of the site to limit the removal of vegetation, pledged to make sure the noise isn’t excessive and closely studied the traffic situation. And county officials point out that all of this is far better than any private development of the lot, an idea that has been floated in the past. Recent renovations at a pair of area fire stations squeezed out recycling drop-offs that had been housed at the stations. The proposed center, next to one of those fire stations, would replace the centers that were lost.”

~Writes Ted Strong of the Richmond Times Dispatch

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General Assembly Bills: Dams and Water Impoundments

General Assembly

“Concerning dams and water impoundment structures, the Senate has approved SB 582, which directs DCR to utilize storm-based approach to determine Probable Maximum Precipitation by December 15. The PMP is used to determine whether a dam is rated as high hazard, thus requiring spillway renovations to account for potential loss of life/property. By updating the PMP, it is anticipated that dam owners will have significant cost savings in spillway construction and remediation efforts. Under the bill, no dam renovations will be required until after the analysis is completed. In addition, the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee will write a letter to DCR requesting it develop a funding plan for addressing costs of rehabilitating high hazard dams. The House counterpart, HB 1006 is in the House Appropriations Committee.”

~Writes David Blount TJPDC Legislative Liaison

Stafford dedicates largest public works project in its history

Stafford County:

“Northern Virginia’s newest lake started forming in Stafford County with the turning of the pumps to fill the Rocky Pen Run Reservoir on Tuesday morning. The lake is the largest public works project in county history. ‘Our population has more than doubled in the last 20 years and the number of businesses and employee base has risen as well,’ Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Cavalier, Griffis-Widewater District, said. ‘Rocky Pen Run’s 5.5-billion-gallon reservoir will allow us to meet the needs of both our private and corporate citizens for years to come.’

The new reservoir will serve customers in the southern and western portions of Stafford, but water can be pumped throughout the county based on need. Rocky Pen Run will join Abel Lake and Smith Lake in supplying water to county customers. The new reservoir will draw water from the Rappahannock River, doubling the safe yield capacity of the water supply system from what exists today. The new reservoir will also offer recreational opportunities, including fishing and non-motorized boating, such as kayaking.”

~Writes Shannon Howell of the Stafford County Sun

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Buena Vista's Dickinson Well Project

Central Shenandoah PDC

“Construction on Buena Vista's Dickinson Well began in December 2013, thanks to a $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.  Dickinson Well, the City's largest well source, was declared to be under the influence of surface water in November 2009.  At that point, the City shut down the Dickinson Well system and began the process of obtaining professional engineering services to bring the facility in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.  This meant that additional treatment of the water in the form of membrane filtration would have to be provided.  The CSPDC assisted the City in applying for and receiving CDBG funding and continues to provide grant administration services to Buena Vista for the project.  Dickinson Well is expected to be back online in the fall of this year.”

~Central Shenandoah PDC