A pungent odor some people in Charlottesville have dealt with for years may soon not be so bad thanks to upgrades at the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. A dedication ceremony was held Tuesday morning to formally announce changes at the facility.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA), in partnership with Charlottesville and Albemarle County, have been working on making the water treatment facility more efficient and reliable. They say the plant has met those goals, at least five years in the making.
RWSA says big benefits of the changes include cleaner water for our rivers, better odor control, and more reliable equipment.
RWSA Executive Director Tom Frederick said, "Well we're real pleased with the dedication ceremony today. It was just a symbolic event for what's been a very long project."
The project cost $48 million, $21 million of which was
paid for by grants from the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund.
One of the main goals is to now reduce the nitrogen
and phosphorus that can cause harm when released back into our water supply.
"It protects the
Rivanna River. It also protects everything downstream including the Chesapeake Bay," said Liz Palmer, who serves on the board of directors for the
Albemarle County Service Authority and is also a member of the Rivanna River
Basin Commission.
There was also a
ribbon-cutting Tuesday for a cogeneration facility that will capture the
methane from waste and turn it into electricity that will provide up to 30 percent of
the power for the treatment plant.
"It's a big, big step
in reducing our carbon footprint," Palmer said.
Frederick says he's proud of all of the new changes at the facility, and he urges people to come out and take a tour anytime.
"It's been
a very successful project, within budget, ahead of schedule, and we're just
very proud of it," he said.
