Board approves $2.43 million appropriation for Appomattox River water main after public hearing

Prince George County Board of Supervisors on March 11 approved appropriating $2,433,310.50 to construct an Appomattox River crossing water main, combining a federal EPA grant with county utilities cash reserves.

The action followed a public hearing and staff presentation that explained the county received an EPA community grant of nearly $960,000 to help fund a new 24-inch water line under the Appomattox River. Staff said the line will replace a 16-inch main that runs attached to a bridge and has frozen at times, and that the full contract award exceeds the grant plus match, requiring additional utilities cash reserves to cover the shortfall.

Ms. Drury, a county staff member, told the board the grant was championed by Congresswoman McClellan and that because the grant and cash-reserve appropriation exceed 1% of the adopted budget, state code required a public hearing before appropriation. The county’s notice listed the total appropriation at $2,433,310.50 and noted the contract for construction was awarded Jan. 28 to Perkinson Construction in the amount of $2,433,000.

During the public hearing, resident Jim Quest urged the board to preserve redundancy for the county water supply, citing recent failures elsewhere and asking whether the existing 16-inch line would remain as backup. Mr. Holton, identified at the meeting as the subject-matter expert on utilities, said the county can access emergency water through interconnects with the City of Petersburg and Virginia American Water and that staff continues to pursue additional interconnects to improve redundancy.

The motion to approve the appropriation was made by Mr. Cox and seconded by Mr. Pugh. The roll call recorded unanimous support from the six supervisors present (Pugh, Webb, Brown, Wymack, Cox, Webb), and the motion carried.

The appropriation resolution as presented included language that the funds would not lapse at fiscal year end because the work is a capital project and would remain appropriated until project completion. Staff said commercial-property reassessments and other administrative details remain outstanding and that construction scheduling and project administration will be coordinated through utilities staff.

The project particulars discussed at the hearing included replacing the bridge-mounted 16-inch main with a buried 24-inch line to improve flow capacity and reduce vulnerability to freezing. The county awarded the construction contract to Perkinson Construction; the contract amount and appropriation totals were presented in the county’s public notice and staff report.

The board’s approval authorizes staff to appropriate the grant funds and utilities cash reserves and proceed with the project under the terms presented to the board.