434.977.2970 RIVANNA SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY 695 Moores Creek Lane Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-9016 434.293.8858 RIVANNA WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY RIVANNA SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY www.rivanna.org RIVANNA WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY MEMORANDUM TO: THE HONORABLE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: BILL MAWYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RIVANNA WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY RIVANNA SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY SUBJECT: QUARTERLY UPDATE DATE: APRIL 2022 This quarterly update is to provide general information on the drinking water supply and treatment, wastewater collection and treatment, and solid waste programs managed by the Rivanna Authorities for the benefit of the Charlottesville/Albemarle community, as follows: 1. Drinking Water Supply and Drought Monitoring, as of April 7, 2022: A. U.S. Drought Monitoring Report: - No drought phases have been initiated. Albemarle County is noted to be abnormally dry. B. VDEQ Drought Status Report: - Our region is at a “Watch” level for low precipitation and groundwater. C. Urban Reservoirs Status (Sugar Hollow, South Rivanna, Ragged Mountain): - 100% full. Precipitation Charlottesville Precipitation Year Month Observed (in.) Normal (in.) Departure (in.) 2021 Total: Jan - Dec 33.82 41.61 -7.79 2022 January 3.79 2.96 0.83 February 1.48 2.35 -0.87 March 2.64 3.54 -0.9 Total: Jan - Mar 7.91 8.85 -0.94 Source: National Weather Service, National Climatic Data Center. 2. The production of drinking water for the Urban area (Charlottesville and adjacent developed areas of Albemarle, not including Crozet) averaged 8.77 million gallons per day (MGD) in February 2022 (FY 2022), which was above the five-year average for February (8.28 MGD), as shown by the following graph: 3. Urban wastewater flow for February 2022 (9.78 MGD), including flows from Crozet, was below the five-year average for February (11.37 MGD), as shown by the following graph: 2 4. A general overview of significant current and future water and wastewater Capital Improvement Projects is provided below. Costs for these projects are typically shared between the Charlottesville Department of Utilities (48%) and the Albemarle County Service Authority (52%). A. Water Treatment Plant Renovations Scope: Replace equipment which has reached end-of-service life at the South Rivanna and Observatory Water Treatment Plants. Increase water treatment capacity from 7.7 to 10 million gallons per day at the Observatory Water Treatment Plant. Completion: May 2020 - May 2023 Cost: $43 million B. Crozet Flow Equalization Tank Scope: Provide a one-million-gallon wastewater tank to store wet weather infiltration of the sewer system and prevent sewer system overflows. Wastewater from Crozet is piped and pumped to the Moores Creek Treatment Plant. Completion: October 2020 – June 2022 Cost: $5.4 million C. Exterior Lighting Replacement, Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility Scope: Replace exterior lighting fixtures and poles on the 80-acre facility to improve safety and compliance with Albemarle County lighting requirements. Completion: April 2021 - May 2022 Cost: $0.6 million D. Electrical System Replacement, Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility Scope: Replace major electrical cabling and equipment installed around 1980 which have reached the end of their service lives. Completion: May 2022 – June 2024 Cost: $5 million E. Water Pipe and Pump Stations Replacement, Ragged Mountain Reservoir to Observatory Water Treatment Plant Scope: Replace water pipes and two pump stations which convey untreated water and have reached the end of their service lives or will require significant upgrades to adequately support the increased treatment capacity of the upgraded Observatory Water Treatment Plant. Completion: 2025 - 2028 Cost: $30 million F. Urban Area “Central Water Line” Scope: Piping improvements to more efficiently convey drinking water, increase redundancy, and generally strengthen the Urban Area Drinking Water System for the benefit of the City and the County. This five-mile-long piping project will extend from the Stadium Road area to the Long Street / E. High Street bridge. Informational meetings have been completed with the Belmont-Carlton, Fifeville, Fry’s Spring, Johnson Village, Martha Jefferson, Little High, and Woolen Mills neighborhood associations. We have also mailed about 480 letters and a “Project Fact Sheet” to all properties located directly along the entire proposed alignment. In addition, we have reached out to Mount Zion Baptist Church, First Steps Infant Development, and Charlottesville Day School, as well as to the Piedmont Housing Alliance, Public Housing Area Residents, and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Completion: 2024 - 2028 Cost: $31 M 3 G. Upper Schenks Branch Wastewater Piping Replacement, Phase II Scope: Replace sewer piping installed in the mid 1950’s in conjunction with the City’s sewer upgrade program to increase system capacity. The new piping will be located along McIntire Road between the McIntire Recycling Center and Preston Avenue. Completion: TBD Cost: $5 million: 100% City H. South Rivanna Reservoir to Ragged Mountain Reservoir Pipe Scope: Acquire easements and construct a pipe to transfer untreated water between the South Rivanna and Ragged Mountain reservoirs, as required by the Community Water Supply plan completed in 2012. A short section will be constructed from Birdwood to Old Garth Road in 2022 – 2023. Completion: 2027 - 2033 Cost: $80 million: 80% ACSA / 20% City I. Keene Convenience Center Design is underway for a recycling and bagged residential refuse collection center to be constructed in southern Albemarle County. Completion: July - December 2022 Cost: $1.1 million: 100% Albemarle County 5. The recycling program at the McIntire Recycling Center and the Paper Sort baling facility continues to be a very popular service for our community. Tonnage from mixed paper, cardboard (including pizza boxes), glass, plastics, metals, compostable food waste and cooking oil continues to increase, as shown below: Rivanna Solid Waste Authority Recycling Material Historical Tonnage Report Fiscal Years 2011 - 2021 3,000 2,323 2,444 2,500 2,223 2,185 2,048 2,060 1,878 1,880 2,000 1,729 1,615 1,483 TONS 1,500 1,000 500 - 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 FISCAL YEAR 4 6. By increasing the number of days/week the Transfer Station is open, and by lowering the disposal fee from $66/ton to $52/ton, average daily refuse volume at the Ivy Transfer Station has increased from 58.76 tons per day in February 2019 to 143.29 tons per day in February 2022, as shown below: Please let me know if you have any questions. cc: RSWA Board of Directors RWSA Board of Directors 5