In an ongoing effort to improve and expand the water and wastewater infrastructure system throughout Washington County, the Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) has many capital improvement projects in the works.

The various improvement projects have been made possible for many reasons. Several of these improvements have become a reality due to WCSA having received over $40 million, to date, in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. In fact, WCSA has been named the largest recipient of ARRA funds amongst utilities within the State of Virginia.

“We are very excited about the various capital improvement projects that are in process. WCSA is especially grateful for the outpouring of funding and financial assistance towards these endeavors,” says Robbie Cornett, WCSA General Manager. “We have confidence that through the execution of these projects, the need for good, clean, drinking water by Washington County residents will be met for many years to come.”

Over the past two years, WCSA has also obtained a total of $73 million in funding from USDA Rural Development (RD), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Department of housing and Community Development (DHCD). The distribution of these funds are as follows: $26 million towards the Middle Fork Drinking Water Plant Expansion, $5 million for the Route 58 Water Storage Facilities, $4 million towards the Exit 13 Wastewater Collection Project, $20 million for the Galvanized Line Replacement Project, $3 million towards the Whites Mill Road Water Line Improvements Project, $4 million for the Reedy Creek Road Water Line Improvements Project and $10 million pending for the Galvanized Line Replacement Project, Phase 3. With contributions for the abovementioned projects in place, along with another $27 million for potential projects in the pipeline, WCSA is excited about the opportunity for improvement and expansion that accompany these projects.

“The expanded [Middle Fork Drinking Water] Plant, along with the new [Route 58] water storage facility are expected to serve the County’s water needs for the next 40 years, providing new public water services to as many as 1,300 homes in the areas of Washington County surrounding the Towns of Abingdon, Damascus, Glade Spring as well as the communities of Meadowview and Emory. In addition, the new public water infrastructure will make future commercial and industrial growth possible in the County,” says Congressman Rick Boucher of the U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District.

“Rural Development is pleased to partner with WCSA in their efforts to ensure that the citizens they serve are provided with good, safe and dependable utilities,” says Travis Jackson, the Southwest Virginia Area Director of Rural Development. “In providing service to their community, it is presenting the opportunity for job creation and economic development for the region. WCSA is a well run organization and meets fiscal requirements for obtaining federal funds. As our name implies, we are committed to the rural region’s development and look forward to WCSA’s continued success.”

WCSA serves approximately 20,500 water and 1,500 wastewater connections. The water system consists of approximately 900 miles of water line, a 4.6-million-gallon-per-day surface water treatment plant, a 2.5-million-gallon-per-day membrane filtration plant, two springs, one well, multiple pump stations and 17 water storage tanks. The wastewater system consists of approximately 65 miles of wastewater collection lines, 24 pump stations and a wastewater treatment plant.

An American Water Works Association (AWWA) publication has recognized the Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) for its efforts to address water loss in Washington County.

AWWA is the largest organization of water professionals in the world, representing more than 100 countries. Founded in 1881, it claims a membership of around 56,000 members worldwide as of 2010. AWWA is an international, non-profit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of water quality and supply.

Various resources are published by AWWA, one of which is their monthly magazine called Opflow. WCSA was recognized in the July 2010 edition of Opflow for its efforts to promote meaningful, standardized performance measures for water loss measurement in the State of Virginia.

The Opflow Article, titled “Water Audits: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You?”, commends WCSA. “In addition to embracing water auditing and loss-control programs at its utility, WCSA is promoting programs throughout the state. Since the late 1990s, WCSA has taken water loss control seriously from a financial and public health perspective and has reduced its nonrevenue water by nearly 1 million gallons per day and increased its revenue by nearly $1 million/year while eliminating potential sources of contamination.” (Opflow, Jul 2010, p. 17)

“Though it seems strange to be acknowledged for doing our job, it is an honor to have been recognized by AWWA for our efforts to protect public health and save our customers money at the same time,” says Robbie Cornett, WCSA General Manager.

WCSA serves approximately 20,500 water and 1,500 wastewater connections. The water system consists of approximately 900 miles of water line, a 4.6-million-gallon-per-day surface water treatment plant, a 2.5-million-gallon-per-day membrane filtration plant, two springs, one well, multiple pump stations and 17 water storage tanks. The wastewater system consists of approximately 65 miles of wastewater collection lines, 24 pump stations and a wastewater treatment plant.