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Water authority seeks county match for dam upgrades and wastewater treatment improvements
Summary
Louisa County Water Authority requested county funding to cover local shares on dam safety work at Bollers Mill and to start planning for ammonia-nitrogen upgrades at a regional wastewater treatment plant required by a future permit cycle.
Louisa County Water Authority staff told the Planning Commission they are advancing dam-safety improvements and wastewater-plant upgrades in the CIP and asked commissioners to note county share requirements tied to grant programs and permit renewals.
Pam Baumann presented the long-running Bollers Mill Dam improvement project, saying the county applied for and received 100% grant funding for design and 65% for construction, and that the county’s share would be the remaining 35 percent. “This is just the 35 percent that the county will have to put up to make the improvements to bring Bollers Mill dam up to the current dam safety regulations,” Baumann said.
Commissioners pressed staff on whether state agencies (DCR/DEQ) should fully fund dam work; questions referenced statutory language and priority lists. Baumann and staff replied that funding programs and prioritization have evolved and that the county is preparing its 35% match in expectation of future funding availability and queue prioritization.
On wastewater, Baumann said the Louisa Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant was notified during its last permit renewal process that its ammonia-nitrogen limit will move from 1.0 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L in the next permit cycle (target year 2027). She said the authority is requesting county funds as part of an upgrade plan to meet the tighter limit and that staff will pursue available DEQ and federal funding but that the county share should be planned in the CIP.
Baumann also summarized work at another treatment plant (Newbridge) that uses a lagoon system and is in the design phase for an upgrade. The authority requested approximately $500,000 to retrofit the lagoon for improved aeration, chemical feed capacity and algae-control measures while the design phase proceeds.
Staff emphasized they will seek grant funding where possible, but a county contribution is likely necessary to meet grant match or to stage upgrades over multiple CIP years. The presentation was informational; no board action was taken.
