The first of the Route 60 water and sewer projects, the Eastern Route 60 Water and Sanitary Force Main Project has been completed, according to Powhatan’s Third District Supervisor Bob Cosby.

“Water and sewer is now available from the county line to Judes Ferry Road,” said Cosby. The completed system draws 572,000 gallons per day from Chesterfield County’s Windy Hill water tower and will be available to both residential and commercial customers. Sewage will go through the Dutoy Creek sewage treatment facility and on to the James River. The two deep wells currently supplying water to this area will be taken off line shortly.

“We’re very fortunate. We started purchasing water rights from Chesterfield County ten years ago. Now they have shortages but we’ll be in good shape,” said Cosby.

Cosby is hard pressed to contain his enthusiasm for the project.

“It is the only solution tax-wise and growth-wise” he stated. The current tax base ratio is 15 to 18 percent commercial with the balance in rapidly escalating residential. “Our goal is 30 percent commercial. This will not reduce the residential tax rate but will certainly bring it more in line,” he said.

The Eastern Route 60 project specified the installation of 17,000 feet of 12” water main and 14,500 feet of sanitary force main ranging in size from 6” to 12” in diameter,

according to Christopher Rapp, Utilities and General Services Director for Powhatan County. This included five water and sewer crossings passing under route 60. The $6.6 million budget total for the project also included design costs and the acquisition of easements as well as all of those costs actually associated with the construction.

The water booster station, located near Route 60 and South Creek, is almost complete. When completed the water booster station will allow the existing County wells to be disconnected and water, under the inter-jurisdictional agreement with Chesterfield County, will begin to flow. The water and sewer system located in Powhatan County is owned and maintained by Powhatan County and customers will be Powhatan County customers Rapp pointed out.

New customers will be required to pay for the connection from the main line to their residence or business. Residential and commercial connection fees for water and sewer laterals generally run between two and three thousand dollars. These fees are normally included in the overall cost of new construction. The County’s facility charge is not, however. 

Nominal facility charges for a single family dwelling are $2,400 for water and $5,500 for waste water. These charges can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for larger users.

A second project for water and both a gravity and force main sewage line is in the planning stages. The $3.1 million projected budget will extend both water and a combination gravity and force main sewage system along Route 60 and to the Flat Rock area.

Completion of this project is tentatively scheduled for the second half of 2009, according to Rapp.