Wastewater Treatment at the Moores Creek Advanced Water Resource Recovery Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) is reporting that, despite damage, which occurred in its largest wastewater pumping station on January 9, 2024, the Moores Creek Advanced Water Resource Recovery Facility (MCAWRRF) continues to fully process all of the wastewater received each day. The damaged wastewater pump station normally has a capacity of 53 million gallons per day (mgd). Approximately 6 million gallons of wastewater from the northern areas of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County are being conveyed through a temporary pumping system each day and are being treated through the MCAWRRF to meet regulatory standards. An initial temporary pumping system with a capacity of about 10 million gallons per day has been installed to convey normal wastewater flows around the damaged wastewater pumping station to the MCAWRRF. A second temporary pumping system will be completed in the next several weeks with the pumping capacity of up to 50 million gallons of wastewater each day to manage higher flows that are received at the facility during a storm event.

RWSA Executive Director, Bill Mawyer, stated, “Our dedicated team of RWSA staff, contractors and consultants continue to work diligently to maintain our wastewater treatment process as we restore operation of the wastewater pumping station. Unfortunately, it was necessary to discharge untreated wastewater to Moores Creek for one 26-hour period last week to move forward with the restoration of our wastewater treatment pumping station. Since that time, we have not experienced any wastewater system overflows in Riverview Park or Darden Towe Park, although they may be possible during heavy rain events until the completion of the 50 mgd bypass pumping installation. We are making every effort to protect our environment as we repair this essential utility infrastructure and maintain service for the community.”