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Sewage spill a main concern in Spotsy
Sewage overflows continue for over-capacity main
Date published: 5/20/2007
By DAN TELVOCK The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has added 16 more incidents to its tally of sewage overflows into Massaponax Creek. From November 2006 to May 13, Spotsylvania officials have reported to the DEQ at least 61 overflows from two manholes off Leavells Road near a 90-acre tract of county-owned land. The root of the problem is a sewer main operating over capacity, said Spotsylvania Director of Utilities Thomas Slaydon. Although officials say the downstream risk in minimal, Slaydon and the DEQ are urging people not to swim or fish anywhere in the creek. County officials reported the overflows to the DEQ immediately, the agency said. There are no homes within several hundred feet of the overflow area. Slaydon said customers haven't experienced sewage backups into their homes because of the problem. And it doesn't affect water supply, he said. The solution is to replace a 17-mile sewer main with a larger one, especially 29,500 linear feet of sewer line where the overflows are occurring. But that portion is at least a year away from completion, Slaydon said, with very little opportunity to expedite the project. County officials knew in the late 1990s that the sewer main needed to be replaced, Slaydon said. "I am sadly disappointed that we weren't advised by our Utilities Department that we were near capacity and about to reach capacity in the process of any of our rezonings," said Supervisor Vince Onorato. "It would have factored heavily into our decisions, and I think it should have factored into previous boards' decisions." Onorato said he may ask supervisors to consider a moratorium on sewer connections until the main is replaced. The supervisors meet on Tuesday. Slaydon said the $50 million project is on schedule to be completed sometime in 2008. The county is borrowing the money to pay for the project. Water and sewer fees will repay the debt. Slaydon guessed each event caused a minimum of 10,000 gallons of sewage overflow, and maybe as much as 100,000 gallons. He said most of the overflows are occurring during peak-use hours, typically on weekends when people are at home instead of at work or school.
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 5/20/2007
Wasted time
(posted by
DobreShunka
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
Think of all the time and energy they spent yelling at the school district and trying to get Dr. Hill in jail. Do you think they should have turned some of that energy on themselves? People in glass houses should not throw stones. Oh, do you think we may need to raise taxes now, idiots?
And the beat goes on
(posted by
john1315
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
And on and on. I guess the folks that favor "controlled" growth have never sat on Rt 3 and thought to themselves "wow, there are too many cars for this road" and figured the same was true with ALL the infrastructure. But hey, don't worry about it, Carl keeps getting richer every day. Maybe someone should ask him to chip in for upgrading all the infrastructure since he seems to be one of the folks that profits the most from it. Oh I forgot, that burden falls on the taxpayers............
Passing the buck
(posted by
rob3
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
It seems to me the county supervisor's job is to know this and get the information from the utilities department prior to it becoming a problem..
Wow
(posted by
Chris.ology
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
This must be the first creek ever that doesn't recharge an aquifer so ya' gotta' love the quote from "officials" that state "And it doesn't affect water supply"...
But whatever you do DON'T swim or fish in that water. And we wonder why the Chesapeake bay is so screwed up. GG County Supervisors!
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