CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Rainfall has become more rare, but more intense in recent years, which could pose a threat to local water and utility infrastructure.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority will study ways to make local infrastructure more resilient to those events, with the help of a nearly $200,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
The study will focus particularly on how to better protect wastewater treatment plants at Moores Creek, Glenmore and Scottsville, two wastewater pumping facilities and one wastewater storage tank, according to the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, or RWSA.
The goal is to protect infrastructure from changing climate. In the case of Charlottesville, this manifests itself through flooding.
“We’re doing a lot of work on our systems right now to make them redundant and resilient ‚” Betsy Nemeth, RSWA Director of Communications said. “The next five to ten years you’ll see a fair amount of construction.”
Rain in the region has become less frequent, but more excessive, according to the RWSA. This pattern increases the risk of the treatment facilities flooding.
“Anytime we can find a way to fund it through grants, and they’re out there, because of this bipartisan infrastructure law,” Nemeth said. “We’re going to try and get funding that way.”
This grant was awarded as part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
According to RWSA, this funding is needed do their facilities can keep serving the community, regardless of the climate.
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