Covington reviews water and sewer infrastructure; consultant flags SCADA, tank maintenance and grant work

Covington City Council on April 7 heard a presentation from CHA Engineering about the city’s water and wastewater systems, the state of recent upgrades and priority needs for the next decade.

Stevie Steele, CHA’s primary contact for Covington, told council the wastewater treatment plant recently completed an $8.2 million project that included an equalization basin and left the plant generally in a maintenance-and-monitoring phase. He said smaller capital items remain, including splitter box repairs and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) upgrades to improve real-time monitoring.

The consultant framed several near-term priorities for the council. “The wastewater treatment plant recently completed an $8.2 million project, including an equalization basin and related improvements,” Steele said. He emphasized expanding SCADA to additional tanks and monitoring points so staff can detect pressure or flow changes before they become larger service problems.

Why it matters: CHA told council that proactive monitoring and prioritized maintenance will reduce emergency repairs and help the city apply for funding. Steele said the city’s collection-line improvements are funded by a $5.7 million grant with no local match and will use manhole inspection, smoke testing, camera inspection and cured‑in‑place lining to address inflow/infiltration, broken pipe and root intrusion.

Steele reviewed other operational items: the city’s lift stations were upgraded in 2018 and have raised electrical panels to reduce flood risk; a portable generator can be connected to the three pump stations (Dry Run, Jackson Street, behind Whitey’s) during emergencies; and the city recently acquired a camera truck with PACP‑certified inspection capability.

On the water side, Steele said the last major plant upgrades were completed in 2014 and recommended creating a prioritized list of components by likelihood and impact of failure, with immediate, five‑to‑ten‑year and longer‑term needs. He added that the Virginia Department of Health has approved the city’s storage tanks for operation but asked for a maintenance plan; CHA recommended a 10‑year tank maintenance program (inspection, washouts, painting and repairs prioritized by condition).

Steele also described a recent South Covington service disruption caused by a 10‑inch water line break on or near railroad property. He said isolating that break was difficult because of limited valves and CSX right‑of‑way constraints, and recommended a written emergency protocol with CSX, additional isolation valves and, where feasible, rerouting lines off railroad property.

Steele warned that capital needs will affect utility revenues: “The city will need to consider utility rate adjustments to maintain service levels and support necessary capital work,” he said, noting Raftelis is completing a utility rate study to provide revenue needs and debt‑coverage analysis.

City Manager Allen Dressler said staff will use the consultant’s recommendations in the budget and longer‑range planning. Council did not take formal action at the work session; Raftelis’ analysis and future budget proposals were identified as the next steps.

Ending: Council members directed staff to incorporate CHA’s priorities into the budget process and await the Raftelis rate study and staff recommendations before considering specific rate changes.