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County wastewater plant has hydraulic room but expansion would be costly, study shows
Summary
Consultants reported the county's 1.3 MGD wastewater plant is meeting discharge limits but wet‑weather inflow limits available capacity; a study estimated a roughly $12 million expansion to add 0.3 MGD.
Presenter reported the wastewater treatment plant's hydraulic capacity—not effluent quality—is the limiting factor for new sewered connections. He said three‑month peak flows and infiltration/inflow drive how regulators (state DEQ) evaluate available reserve and that the county currently has roughly 126,000 gallons per day of wastewater capacity in reserve.
"So you currently have 1.3 MGD wastewater treatment plant... for right now, we've got about 0.126 or a 126,000 gallons a day in reserve," the Presenter said. He and staff reviewed options to reduce infiltration and inflow as a low‑cost way to increase available capacity and described a study that estimated a $12,000,000 cost to add roughly 0.3 MGD to the plant at the present site; the presenters noted the current plant footprint limits future expansion and creating a new plant near the Appomattox would be significantly more expensive.
Board members and staff discussed phasing and whether commercial developments should rely on on‑site wastewater systems to avoid forcing early plant expansion. The Presenter advised continued I&I reductions to recover lost capacity while the county considers longer‑term plant solutions.
