This week in county government; Cost of James River Water Project continues to rise; Lake Anna named to state's impaired waterway list; New contender seeks Republican nomination in SD10
This week in county government; Cost of James River Water Project continues to rise; Lake Anna named to state's impaired waterway list; New contender seeks Republican nomination in SD10
Engage Louisa is a community newsletter aimed at keeping folks informed about Louisa County government. It’s free, non-partisan, and powered by volunteers. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, Aug. 22 through Aug. 27
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here.
Tuesday, August 23
Human Services Advisory Board, 103 MacDonald Street, Louisa, 11 am.
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here, including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
Cost of James River Water Project rises
As the James River Water Authority inches toward completion of a pipeline that will channel raw water from the river to feed development along the Interstate 64 corridor in Louisa and Fluvanna counties, the cost of the project continues to rise.
According to a budget update presented by Faulconer Construction at JRWA’s July meeting, the base cost to complete the pipeline—including design and construction of a submerged water intake and pump station along the James and a roughly four-mile stretch of pipeline to connect the station to an existing water main—is expected to reach $31.8 million, over $8 million more than an estimate consultants presented to JRWA’s board of directors in February 2020.
That estimate doesn’t consider ancillary services or contingencies. The total cost to finish the project, excluding interest on its financing, could reach $38 million, according to the authority’s consultants.
Aqua Law’s Justin Curtis, who is managing the project on JRWA’s behalf, said in an email last week that construction costs have ballooned across the country over the last couple years, driven by kinks in the supply chain, and the increase in the project’s cost projections reflect that reality.
“Over the past two years, construction costs have been escalating at a rate much faster than the general rate of inflation. There are nationwide shortages in the equipment and raw materials necessary to build the project – such as water pumps and iron pipe – which are primarily driving the cost increases,” he said.
Curtis explained that the higher of the two estimates accounts for the possibility of additional price increases and includes other expenses not directly related to construction including environmental permitting and easement acquisition.
“Predicting future construction and materials costs is always challenging, and that is particularly true now. To be cautious, the higher $38 million estimate includes a substantial contingency cost estimate to account for potential unknown future increases in these costs,” Curtis said.
The $38 million it could take to build the pump station and adjacent infrastructure nearly equals what county officials thought, nearly a decade ago, would cover the cost of the entire James River Water Project, Louisa’s larger plan to bring millions of gallons of much-needed water to businesses and homes at Zion Crossroads that currently rely on ultra-deep, county-owned wells.
When Louisa set out to build the project in 2013, officials estimated it would cost between $40 and $45 million to construct the pump station, a water treatment plant at Ferncliff, and a 24-inch waterline to connect the two, according to a FAQ detailing the plan. They projected that water would flow to the burgeoning development at Zion by 2017. Hampered by challenges and delays, parts of the project have yet to come to fruition.
The Louisa County Water Authority has completed construction of two components, financed by bonds: the Ferncliff treatment facility and a roughly 13-mile waterline stretching to Route 6, which runs just north of the James River in southern Fluvanna County.
To feed development along Interstate 64, the county will send water west along Route 250 to Zion and extend its waterline east to the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park, a 700-acre industrial site under development just off the interstate.
The county partnered with Fluvanna, via JRWA, to draw raw water from the river and transport it to the LCWA water main near Route 6. The localities agreed to split the cost of the JRWA-owned infrastructure including the intake, pump station, and the stretch of pipeline mainly south of Route 6. In 2016, the authority issued about $9.1 million in debt, via the Virginia Resources Authority, to pay for the project.
But putting that key infrastructure in place has remained elusive, largely because of the authority’s 2013 decision to build the pump station and intake at a site near the confluence of the James and Rivanna rivers that’s believed to be Rassawek, the ancestral capital of the Monacan Indian Nation.
Curtis has said that JRWA chose the location because it afforded the shortest waterline route, lowest operation cost, impacted the fewest landowners, and provided ideal water quality and quantity, among other factors.
JRWA secured two of three key permits required for construction at the site: a withdrawal permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and a wetlands disturbance permit from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
As the authority pursued the third permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2018, the Monacan registered formal opposition to the pump station’s location, citing its cultural and historical significance and specifically arguing that it was likely home to human remains. The federally recognized tribe’s objections significantly complicated the permitting process, leading to years of delays and, ultimately, prompting the authority to choose a different location.
“We expected to have water flowing before now. We encountered some very significant problems and opposition. It flows from some of the issues raised by the Monacan,” Curtis told the Louisa County Board of Supervisors at a meeting last November.
In March, JRWA agreed to move the pump station to a new site, dubbed the Forsyth 1C alternative. Located 2.3 miles upstream from Rassawek, the site requires a renewed permitting process, additional design work and land acquisition, and roughly three more miles of pipe to connect to the existing water main.
In the initial cost analysis presented to JRWA’s board in February 2020, the authority’s consulting team said that moving the infrastructure to Forsyth would add over $10 million in construction costs alone, pegging the cost at Forsyth at about $23.7 million (now $31.8 million) and the cost at the original location at $12.8 million.
Overall, consultants projected, at the time, that building at the new location could cost 85 percent more than the original site, reaching well over $44 million when factoring in interest on the project’s financing. The authority hasn’t offered an updated cost projection for the new site that includes interest on potential loans.
JRWA recently applied for grant funding from the Virginia Department of Health to offset the project’s rising cost. Curtis said that VDH oversees several funding programs for public water systems, drawing on money from state and federal sources including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. JRWA requested funds under any of the programs and any money awarded would be used for construction, lowering costs for Louisa and Fluvanna, Curtis said.
According to meeting minutes, the authority still has about $5 million in the bank from the initial debt issuance in 2016.
Earlier this month, JRWA formally reinitiated the permitting process for the intake, pump station, and waterline, submitting a joint permit application to the Corps and DEQ for the new site.
Curtis said that, instead of seeking a new permit, the authority requested that DEQ modify the withdrawal permit issued in 2015. The authority applied for a new permit from the Marine Resources Commission for the intake and the pipeline’s crossing of the Rivanna River near Route 6 and a nationwide permit from the Corps, a less stringent process than what was required for the Rassawek site.
As the project inches ahead, the demand for water in southern Louisa County is growing. Supervisors have approved construction of hundreds of new single-family homes, town homes, and apartments at Zion and are eager to attract prospective businesses to the Shannon Hill site. According to the latest project timeline, the pump station’s construction could begin as early as 2023 and water could flow to Ferncliff and beyond between 2025 and 2027.
Lake Anna named to state’s impaired waterway list due to Harmful Algal Blooms
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality added Lake Anna to the state’s lengthy list of impaired waterways, citing the Harmful Algal Blooms that have plagued parts of the lake over the last five summers.
DEQ’s draft Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report, released in July, includes Lake Anna and six other waterways that were subject to Virginia Department of Health advisories in 2019 and 2020 due to HAB. This is the first time the agency has listed bodies of water as impaired because of the blooms.
Released biennially as part of DEQ’s Water Quality Assessment program, the report provides a summary of water quality conditions in the state’s lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries between 2015 and 2020, and identifies and prioritizes waters needing cleanup plans. Inclusion on the list of impaired waters can open the door to state resources for water quality restoration.
Harmful Algal Blooms are a growing concern across the state, especially at Lake Anna where VDH has issued no swim advisories for large swaths of the lake’s upper reaches every summer since 2018. In early August, VDH issued an advisory covering most of the lake north of the Route 208 bridge—including Lake Anna State Park’s main beach—after testing found elevated HAB levels at eight locations.
Comprised of toxin-producing cyanobacteria, the blooms can be detrimental to human health and harmful to wildlife and pets. In humans, the bacteria can cause skin rash and gastrointestinal illness including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. VDH warns residents and visitors to avoid swimming, windsurfing, and stand-up-paddle-boarding, as well as other activities that pose a risk of ingesting water. People are also urged to keep pets out of water under an HAB advisory.
While the exact cause of HAB at Lake Anna is complex, the blooms’ growth is generally attributed to excess nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, in warm, stagnant water.
In a press release, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said that the blooms are a troubling sign for Virginia’s waterways and urged the state to focus on addressing root causes.
“Toxic algal blooms are one of the most troubling signs that Virginia’s waterways are suffering from too much nitrogen and phosphorus pollution,” CBF Virginia Executive Director Peggy Sanner said. “The solution to cleaning up our waterways is clear—Virginia must continue to invest in programs that reduce pollution from cities, suburbs, farms, and sewage treatment plants.”
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors has sounded the alarm about the blooms over the last several years, warning that their presence is harmful to the overall health of the lake and could negatively impact Louisa’s economy.
“There is a tremendous economic engine at Lake Anna for Louisa County, both from property taxes from the homes that are built at Lake Anna to tourist business. The economic impact of the HAB problem at the lake—I don’t use this word very often—has the potential to be catastrophic, not only to our residents and visitors but to both county governments that have a lot of tax revenue on it,” Board Chair Duane Adams said during a work session late last year, referencing Louisa and Spotsylvania counties, which share most of the lake’s shoreline.
Supervisors have worked with state lawmakers to mashall resources to address the blooms. Earlier this year, Senator Mark Peake (R-SD22) led efforts to secure $1 million in the biennial state budget for the development of a Lake Anna-specific HAB mitigation plan. In 2021, Peake passed a language-only amendment to the budget directing DEQ to issue a report detailing the impact of freshwater HAB across the state and identifying causal factors.
Adams is hopeful that the lake’s inclusion on the impaired waterways list means the state will continue to direct resources toward mitigating the blooms and identifying long-term solutions.
“The inclusion of Lake Anna on the state’s list of impaired waters is an acknowledgment by the Commonwealth of the impact of our reoccurring HAB outbreaks. With the stated goal of the program being to address a solution, this action, along with the recent state funding to develop a treatment plan, should bring a much-needed state-directed plan of action,” Adams said in an email.
The Lake Anna Civic Association has led local, grassroots efforts to mitigate the blooms. As part of its Kick the HAB pilot program, the group has raised more than $100,000, which it’s using to fund a treatment plan aimed at keeping the blooms at bay in the near-term.
At four test sites on the upper end of the lake, the group is deploying Lake Guard Oxy, a product from BlueGreen Water Technologies that has been used to combat algae and cyanobacteria in other waterways. Comprised mainly of sodium percarbonate, the treatment has no harmful environmental impacts, decomposing into water and oxygen in one to three days.
In a program overview, LACA notes that the causes of HAB at Lake Anna are complex and deeply rooted, and the treatment program is just one piece in the multi-faceted, long-term effort required to mitigate and prevent the blooms. In addition to its treatment program, the group conducts extensive water quality monitoring in cooperation with DEQ.
CFB’s Sanner applauded LACA’s efforts and welcomed what she described as “historic levels of (state) funding” directed at improving water quality. She said both are crucial to restoring impaired waterways.
“Virginia’s elected leaders invested historic levels of funding in programs that reduce pollution to Virginia’s rivers, lakes, and streams,” Sanner said. “This funding should make a significant difference. DEQ’s work monitoring and identifying impaired waters, along with the efforts of local groups such as the Lake Anna Civic Association, is also crucial to focusing these restoration efforts where they are most needed.”
Brindley joins Republican field in SD10
The race for the Republican nomination in the newly drawn 10th State Senate District just got a little more crowded as Powhatan resident Sandy Brindley announced her candidacy in a press release last week. Brindley joins three other contenders already vying for a seat that’s not on the ballot until 2023.
In her announcement, Brindley touted her experiences as a mother and stint as a sixth-grade teacher as uniquely preparing her to serve in Richmond. She said she’s dedicated to promoting parental choice in education and opposing alleged “left indoctrination” in public schools, issues that have mobilized the Republican base over the last two years and emerged as key themes in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s successful bid for the executive mansion last November.
“As a mom and a former teacher, I am dedicated to standing against the far left indoctrination of our children and believe strongly that our parents and children must be given a choice in education,” Brindley said.
Brindley also pointed to her work as a marketing professional, noting that her time in the business world afforded her insight into what small businesses need.
“As someone who has worked as a marketing professional in the business world, I understand what our small business leaders need: we need to cut the red tape, lower taxes and regulations, and get government out of the way,” she said.
The Senate race marks Brindley’s third run for elected office. She failed to win the First District seat on the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors in 2019, losing to incumbent David Williams by more than 20 points. In 2014, she narrowly lost a special election for the Fourth District seat on the Powhatan County School Board.
Brindley joins a formidable field in the 10th, a solid Republican district that Youngkin won by about 36 points last year. The other contenders include Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams, 56th District Delegate John McGuire, and Hanover County GOP Chair Jack Dyer. No Democrats have filed to run for the seat.
Reshaped during the redistricting process last December, the new 10th includes most of Louisa County and chunk of Hanover at its northern edge. It stretches south across rural central Virginia, encompassing all or part of 10 localities. The district isn’t home to an incumbent, making it an attractive target for Republicans eager to ascend the political ranks.
Adams, a retired insurance executive, was the first candidate to jump in the race, announcing his plans to run just after new maps were finalized in late December. He’s taken an early lead in fundraising, hauling in more than $190,000 in cash contributions, and secured the backing of a handful of elected officials and party activists at the district’s northern end.
McGuire, who lives in Goochland County, currently represents more than 30,000 10th District residents in his House of Delegates seat. The fitness instructor and former Navy Seal announced his candidacy in February after ditching plans to run in the 7th Congressional District when redistricting shifted the 7th to the edge of northern Virginia.
McGuire has posted modest fundraising numbers to date, bringing in just over $69,000 in the first half of 2022, about $50,000 of which he transferred from previous campaigns. He’s endorsed by several of his colleagues in the General Assembly including state Senator Amanda Chase, a favorite of the party’s far right.
Dyer, an Ashland contractor, formally filed to run in late March. He’s pulled in more than $170,000 according to his latest campaign finance report, but $100,000 of that came from a personal loan to his campaign.
For her part, Brindley brings a varied resume to the race. She currently works as an assistant to the Powhatan County Commissioner of Accounts, a quasi-judicial office that oversees court-related fiduciary responsibilities. Prior to that, she served as a legal assistant and office manager for Gretchen Hutt Brown, a Richmond law firm, and worked for four years as Province President of Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity. While living in Texas in the 1990s, Brindley worked for two years as a teacher for Austin Independent Schools and served as a software trainer and marketing strategist.
Brindley earned an undergraduate degree in education from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in global leadership from Duquesne University. She’s currently completing a doctorate in strategic leadership at Liberty University’s School of Business.
Brindley and her husband, Lane, have lived in Powhatan since 2010. They have four children.
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