RWSA to get report on January malfunction at sewer pump station

Albemarle and Charlottesville are now both under a drought watch, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is responsible for the public drinking water supply and treating wastewater. The Board of Directors meets today at 2:15 p.m. (meeting info) (agenda) 

The item on the consent agenda about drought monitoring is now out of date with the DEQ’s new information, but data shows the trend toward drier conditions. Precipitation in Charlottesville is down .43 inches than normal as measured by the National Weather Service. 

Another item on the agenda today is a report on the January 9, 2024 malfunction that flooded the Rivanna Pump Station with untreated wastewater. (details here)

“The submergence of the pumps and motors caused catastrophic failure of the station,” reads the staff report seeking approval of an amendment to add $22 million to the capital plan to pay for repairs. 

A temporary bypass was put in place while the Rivanna Pump Station was cleaned. A third-party inspection team was commissioned to find out what happened and their report has been sent to RWSA’s insurance carrier to potentially recoup some of the costs. 

Another item on the agenda is a review of a January 17, 2024 incident when a “crest grate” atop the Sugar Hollow Dam malfunctioned leading to around 69 million gallons of water to be released within an hour. (details here)

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