Virginia hands Lynchburg $1.5 million for CSO work

The state has released $1.5 million to Lynchburg for use in the combined sewer overflow program.

The money will help fund a partial replacement of the James River Interceptor, the city’s largest sewer line. CSO projects are designed to address deficiencies that cause Lynchburg’s sewer system to overflow during heavy storms.

Over the past decade, the state has given more than $20 million to the CSO program. The city had been expecting this latest block of funding for some time. It was originally approved by the General Assembly in 2008, but scheduled for dispersal this year.

Representatives with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Resources Authority presented local officials with the check last month. The money has already been earmarked for the James River Interceptor, a multi-phase project that calls for replacing about six miles of aging sewer pipe along the James River.

The city is currently preparing to break ground on division four of that project. The budget for that phase, totaling nearly $10 million, includes the recent state funding.

The General Assembly did not appropriate any new CSO support during its last session, but local officials are hopeful they will see some funding from the federal stimulus package.

The city submitted numerous CSO and other utility projects for stimulus consideration. DEQ has since determined those projects qualify for as much as $37 million in funding — putting Lynchburg far ahead of any other Virginia community.

The state has about $77 million in stimulus funding for utility projects. It received requests totaling nearly $115 million.

Final appropriations will be made by the State Water Control Board. A public hearing on the matter has been scheduled in Richmond for April 15.

Utilities Director Tim Mitchell said the city is “cautiously optimistic” about its chances of getting a piece of the funding. “We’ll see what happens at the public hearing and State Water Control Board and hope for the best,” he said.

Public Comment
DEQ will convene a public hearing on the federal stimulus funding on April 15 in Richmond. Comments can also be submitted to the department by letter, e-mail or phone. No comments will be accepted after April 15. To submit a comment, contact:
Walter Gills
Department of Environmental Quality
Construction Assistance Program
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 698-4133