The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) is advancing work on a $61.5 million raw water pipeline in Charlottesville, Va., that will replace two deteriorating lines between the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and the Observatory Water Treatment Plant.
The 36-in. pipeline is designed to take the place of a pair of smaller 18-in. pipes that are between 70-100 years old. Once completed, the new line will strengthen long-term reliability and expand capacity in the region's water system, the utility noted in an update on its website.
According to RWSA, the project is a critical component of its Community Water Supply Plan, which includes more than $300 million in investments over the next five years to upgrade its reservoirs, treatment plants, raw water transmission pipelines and pipelines for treated drinking water across Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
A detailed routing study for the project was completed in 2021, and easement acquisitions were completed in 2024. Shortly after that, Thalle Construction Co., based in Hillsborough, N.C., began working on the pipeline and will continue to do so through 2029.
Extending the water line between the reservoir and the water treatment plant has involved a series of steps since the contracting firm received its notice to proceed on the replacement effort in December.
Those milestones have included:
• a public information meeting on Jan. 29 to inform Charlottesville residents and UVA students about the upcoming project;
• Thalle and its crews began clearing trees along the pipeline's future path on March 4;
• Hereford Drive was closed between McCormick Road and Stadium Road on May 27 to install the new 36-in. pipe under the road;
• Hereford Drive was repaved and reopened to traffic on Aug. 8;
• controlled blasting took place Aug. 18 to excavate rock more efficiently in a wooded area on UVA property between Hereford Drive and Fontaine Avenue; and
• in the first week of September, the contractors perform more blasting on the site, just north of Fontaine Avenue.
That part of the work has been carefully and conservatively designed by RWSA's consultant engineer to protect property, the utility said, while noting that its blasting permits are obtained from the Virginia State Fire Marshall.
The process involves drilling into rock and setting small charges before heavy mats are laid across the surface to prevent loose debris from leaving the site. Before each blast, a localized siren will go off to signal the impending detonation. RWSA added that each blast generates a sound level up to 120 decibels and can cause minor localized ground vibrations.
Due to Fontaine Avenue's proximity to the blasting site, the road was closed five minutes before each detonation. The roadway was reopened once safety personnel issued the all-clear. Temporary recreational trail closures also occurred on the O-Hill Long Downhill, Fontaine Multi-Use Path and Gravel Doubletrack trails.
Beginning the week of September 8, Thalle Construction began working on extending the pipeline across Fontaine Avenue, a procedure that required nighttime construction between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. The pipeline will cross Fontaine between the U.S. Highway 29 Bypass and Ray C. Hunt Drive.
Thru traffic is allowed during this period; however, RWSA said that lane closures are expected. All lanes will reopen each morning and remain so throughout the day.
In addition, the pipeline construction has been coordinated with UVA to minimize potential impacts on staff and patients who work or receive care in the Fontaine Research Park, adjacent to the construction site.
The work on this section of the pipeline is expected to continue through the end of October.
"This infrastructure project represents a major milestone for long-term water reliability in Charlottesville," said Krista Shurtz, RWSA's vice president of natural gas and water operations.
Updated Pipeline is Key Component of RWSA's Infrastructure
When the project is fully completed, according to RWSA, the Ragged Mountain Reservoir to Observatory Water Treatment Plant Raw Water Line will span approximately 4 mi., including a spur-piece of piping that will be installed on the Foxhaven Farm property, connecting the Ragged Mountain Raw Water Pump Station (RMRWPS) to the southern end of the previously installed raw water line under the Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville.
The pump station will have the capacity to initially transfer up to 10 million gal. per day of raw water from the reservoir to the treatment plant.
Once the nearby South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to Ragged Mountain Reservoir pipeline is finished and additional pumps are installed, the RMRWPS will also be capable of transferring 16 million gal. of water daily from the Ragged Mountain Reservoir to the South Rivanna Water Treatment Plant, as well as assist with the transfer of 25 million gal. from South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and/or the Observatory Water Treatment Plant.
