Issue Updates, Summer 2005

Trash Trucks: After a legal settlement of $8.53 million to CapitalSource Finance, Inc. (the creditor of the bankrupt private company of National Waste Services of Virginia), Page County has finally obtained the right to run its Battle Creek Landfill. The county is sinking a further $4.5 million into bringing the landfill up to Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality standards in accordance with Virginia's Solid Waste Management Act. The county would like to open the landfill for business in July but needs to float a bond issue to $13 million to cover the aforementioned and other start-up costs. If it comes up with the money, the county must then seek bids from private contractors for certain large-scale work to be done. When th landfill opens, it can take in only 250 tons of trash a day. Page County's residents and businesses generate about 80-100 tons per day. With increased gas prices, the county might have trouble finding trash close by beyond its borders to make the landfill profitable.

Town of Washington's Comprehensive Plan: When completed, the revision the Town of Washington's comprehensive plan will clarify diverse growth policies involving both the town and the county. The town wishes to have reasonable growth, as does the county, but the county also prefers that growth take place in the villages and not throughout the countryside. The town has retained the services of two consultants—Herd Planning & Design, Ltd, and Paradigm Design—and is also working with the Rappahannock County Planning Commission on these issues. The town currently has 88 occupied and 29 vacant homes. The options for growth range from a traditional low-density plan of 27 new units up to a maximum density of 87 new units if a cluster development plan is followed. The number of homes drives the size of the wastewater treatment system.

Town of Washington's water system: A new reservoir is to be constructed of stressed concrete at a cost of $300,000. Capable of retaining about 200,000 gallons, it will hold double the capacity of the old concrete reservoir. Bids for the construction work may be received early this summer.

Town of Washington's wastewater system: A new wastewater system is needed, as current septic systems are failing. A consultant, WW & Associates, has made recommendations on the problem.

The first part of the problem, dealing with collecting and conveying sewage from homes and businesses, fell into four options: grinder pumps and low-pressure discharge; a pump system for septic-tank effluent; a vacuum sewer and pump stations; and a gravity sewer and pump stations. The first option is the choice recommended by the consultant.

The second part of the problem concerns the treatment of the wastewater after it has been collected and conveyed to some point. There are three options: building a new wastewater treatment plant with discharge to a subsurface, drip-drainage irrigation system; pumping the wastewater to an expanded Sperryville wastewater treatment plant for processing there and discharge into the Thornton River; and building a new wastewater treatment plant with discharge into the Rush River near the town.

According to the consultant, the most last choice is the most cost-effective: $2,973,570, with a uniform annual cost of $219,094. The system would be designed to handle 60,000 gallons of wastewater per day.

Visit the Town of Washington's website by clicking here.

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