On the 55th anniversary of the remnants of Hurricane Camille delivering a catastrophic blow to Nelson County, the county’s the service authority and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to fix the county’s infrastructure during an Aug. 20 event at the Nelson County Courthouse.
Stevie Steele, professional engineer and vice president for CHA Consulting, spoke about what the plan was for the Lovingston Infrastructure project.
A display on infrastructure during the Aug. 20 event at the Nelson County Courthouse.
According to Steele, there is 16,000 feet of sanitary sewer pipe in the Lovingston sewer system that is made out of vitrified clay.
Stevie Steele speaks during the Aug. 20 event.
“Those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s very brittle. It was commonly used at that time, in the 1970s. It needs to be replaced,” Steele said.
According to Steele, there are manholes that were made without mortar that also need to be fixed.
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“When rain occurs, there are so many holes in that pipe that water from the ground finds every way it can to get into those pipes, it mixes with the sewer. When the sewer system can’t handle it anymore, it bubbles up out of the manhole lids and onto the ground,” Steele said.
Steele said that this contributes to sanitary sewer overflow, which is a public concern.
“Those overflows do have sewage in them and are not safe to have human contact coming in contact with them,” Steele said.
According to Steele, overflows happen one to two times a year.
Steele said the project will include lining the clay pipes, replacing 31 manhole framing covers and rehabilitating 220 vertical feet of cementitious mantles.
A display during the Aug. 20 infrastructure announcement in Lovingston.
“This is what the community deserves, they deserve a good sewer system and a solid water system,” Steele said.
Nelson County Service Authority Chair David Hight was 20 when torrential rains from the storm’s remnants devastated the county in August 1969.
Service Authority Chair David Hight speaks during the event.
“I could talk for a long time about all my memories and experiences. Each of you drove here today whether that be in a few minutes or hours but 55 years ago, you could neither come here nor leave. Torrents of rain destroyed all roads to and from Lovingston, as well as all means of communication,” Hight said.
Hight spoke about the history of the Lovingston sewer system.
According to Hight, in 1962, there was a special board of supervisors meeting that was held about stream pollution in Lovingston. There they decided that the county would establish a sanitary district to finance sewage treatment but it wasn’t until 1968 that bids for construction were received.
“These are the same sewer lines that we are looking at rehabilitating today,” Hight said.
A flier for the Aug. 20 infrastructure announcement in Lovingston.
Jesse Rutherford, who represents Nelson County Board of Supervisors’ East District that covers Lovingston, said that the most important aspect of a healthy community is having a sound infrastructure.
Jesse Rutherford, of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors, speaks during the Aug. 20 event.
“Though this is small, it is actually huge. This means you can buy a business and now not even have to ponder whether you’re going to be having issues because the infrastructure is fifty years old,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford said that this is going to be a huge win for families for generations to come.
Del. Tim Griffin, R-53rd House District, spoke about how Camille highlights how important these infrastructure projects are.
Refreshments were served during the Aug. 20 announcement in Lovingston.
“A week ago today, I was over in the Massie Mill area and reading the signposts from the Ruritan Club about the flood, and when you think about what was here and you think about what we lost, it highlights how important projects like this are today because what you are doing out here today is going to ensure that those things don’t happen in the future,” Griffin said.
Display at Nelson infrastructure event 2024.
Camille was among category 5 hurricanes that hit the U.S. in the 20th century. Camille first started in Mississippi before it took an eastward turn, making its way through West Virginia and Central Virginia. The night of the storm, 25 inches of rain fell upon Nelson. The storm claimed the lives of 124 people and caused millions of dollars in damage across the county.
Jennifer Fitzgerald, the assistant executive director for the service authority, asked those in attendance to stand for a moment of silence in memory of those who died in Nelson during the massive flooding that occurred Aug. 19 through Aug. 20 in 1969.
Bonnie Gentry, representative for the office of U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-5th District, spoke about the spirit of the Lovingston community.
“I just want to say that the damages that Lovingston sustained is a true testament to the spirit of the people who live here now and who have been rebuilding this area for all this time. It also speaks to the heritage of Lovingston and all of Nelson County,” Gentry said.
Deidra Robert, director of state office Operations for USDA Rural Development, spoke about how important projects like this are to small rural communities.
“It takes a lot of hands to build these projects out. What we realize at rural development is that our rural communities are not only necessary and vital, but the people who choose to live in our rural communities deserve to grow where they are planted,” Robert said.
Robert said that it is vital that the county starts with infrastructure when building up rural communities.
“A better place to live means that you have access to clean and safe water, affordable housing, that you have access to work, jobs, schools, and all that starts with infrastructure,” Robert said.