Construction is currently underway on two major components of a Community Water Supply Plan agreed to by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council in January 2012.
The first component to be implemented by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority was a replacement dam at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir completed in 2014. A crew is currently in the midst of clearing trees at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area to allow for the waterway’s pool height to be increased by 12 feet.
This Friday will see a controlled blast at Foxhaven Farm between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to clear the way for a portion of a 36 inch diameter pipeline that will allow water to be transferred between the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir.
“The blast will occur just north of Reservoir Rd. Blasting will help break and excavate rock more efficiently,” reads an information release sent out by the RWSA on July 22. “All work has been carefully and conservatively designed by RWSA’s consultant engineer to protect property.”
A siren will go off before the blast happens and will be as loud as 120 decibels and may cause ground vibrations in some areas. Additionally, some trails may be recreational trails may be temporarily closed.
When this pipeline is completed, the RWSA will be able to retire an existing pipeline that travels in one direction from the Sugar Hollow Reservoir.
The RWSA has hired the Thalle Construction Company to perform the installation of the pipeline at a cost of $61.5 million.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the July 23, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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