The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is in the midst of implementing a long-term plan to increase storage capacity and increase the reliance of an urban system of a community expected to grow.
So far most of these projects have been far away from the streets and neighborhoods that make up the urban area. That includes construction of an earthen dam at Ragged Mountain Reservoir and upgrades to pump stations and water treatment plants.
This month implementation moves inward with the start of construction of the Central Water Line in a project that will involve digging up roads and causing some delay.
“The Central Water Line Project will improve the Urban Area Drinking Water System by installing a finished water transmission pipe through the southern and central portions of Charlottesville,” reads an information release sent out by the RWSA on October 16. “It will be constructed of 24-inch and 30-inch ductile iron pipes and span approximately five miles.”
The Central Water Line is part of a $300 million investment over the next five years to enhance the urban water system. That includes the expansion of the pool at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir as well as a nine mile pipeline to connect it with the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir.
The first phase of the construction will include nine stages beginning later this this month in an area labeled “Hereford Dr. / Stadium Road to Lewis Street / Railroad.” That’s expected to go through February 2026.
Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with some nightwork required at some of the major intersections. Access to private property and businesses will be provided during construction and steel plates will be left overnight to cover trenches.
“Construction will start on Lewis St near the railroad tracks and progress north towards UVA,” the release continues. “The contractor plans to use a convoy method to excavate dirt, lay pipe, and then backfill. All equipment will work in a single file line with excavators and dump trucks positioned at either end of the construction zone. This method will minimize any potential road closures and allow traffic to pass.”
The nine stages in phase one:
- Stage 1 Hereford Dr/Stadium Rd to Lewis St/Railroad (Map)
- October 2025 to February 2026
- Stage 2 JPA/Railroad to Cleveland Ave/Woodland Dr (Map)
- January 2026 to August 2026
- Stage 3 Cleveland Ave/Woodland Dr to Cherry Ave/Shamrock Rd (Map)
- July 2026 to January 2027
- Stage 4 Cherry Ave/Shamrock Rd to Cherry Ave/Spring St (Map)
- December 2026 to July 2027
- Stage 5 Cherry Ave/Spring St to Roosevelt Brown Blvd/Railroad (Map)
- June 2027 to October 2027
- Stage 6 Cherry Ave/Roosevelt Brown Blvd to Elliott Ave/Ridge St (Map)
- October 2027 to December 2027
- Stage 7 Elliott Ave/Ridge St to 6th St SE/Blenheim Ave (Map)
- December 2027 to April 2028
- Stage 8 6th St SE/Blenheim Ave to 6th St SE/Avon St (Map)
- March 2028 to July 2028
- Stage 9 Avon St to 10th St NE/E Market St (Map)
- April 2028 to November 2028
For more information on the Central Water Line, visit the project page on the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s website.
Before you go: The time to write and conduct research for this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the October 16, 2025 edition of the program. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.
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