Localities set to lift limits on water use

Jeremy Borden / Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: January 2, 2008

Mandatory water restrictions that have been in effect in Charlottesville and Albemarle County since mid-August likely will be lifted, as water officials said Wednesday that they expect depleted area reservoirs to refill by the end of April.

However, a "drought watch," which encourages voluntary conservation, will remain in place.

"It is still too early to completely call off the drought for good," Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Chairman Michael Gaffney said in a statement. "I sincerely thank our citizens for their extensive cooperation in reducing water consumption, and urge our community to maintain these practices voluntarily."

The Albemarle Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council may call off the "drought warning" - which allowed the Albemarle County Service Authority and city public works department to fine residents for using water excessively or breaking conservation rules. The City Council will take up the issue Monday and the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

The drought warning prohibited the washing of cars except in commercial facilities, limited the watering of plants and barred restaurants from serving water except upon request, among other restrictions.

Charlottesville Mayor David Brown said he expects the City Council to go along with Rivanna's recommendation.

"We need to make sure people realize that there's still a problem going on with water," Brown said. While it's rained enough to put reservoirs and streams in better condition, he said, the area is still relatively dry.

Supervisor Kenneth C. Boyd, the county board chairman, said he expects Albemarle will call off its drought warning Wednesday.

Donald J. Wagner, the chairman of the Albemarle County Service Authority, which controls the county's public utilities, said lifting the warning likely would have little effect on how much water is conserved.

"It's going to be more of a psychological change than a change in water usage," Wagner said, because irrigation and other activities aren't as prevalent during the winter.

The Sugar Hollow Reservoir has been officials' main point of concern, having dropped to 15 feet below full in late October - the height of a two-story building. As of Tuesday, that deficit was six feet below full. The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is full, while the Ragged Mountain Reservoir is running a deficit of 2.8 feet and Beaver Creek Reservoir, in Crozet, is 1.6 feet below full.

The drought and water restrictions have increased scrutiny of what officials are doing about Charlottesville and Albemarle's long-term water supply woes. Major problems include aging infrastructure and inadequate facilities to accommodate future growth.

The community has largely endorsed a $142 million plan to build a new dam and enlarge the reservoir at Ragged Mountain, then construct a pipeline from another area reservoir to fill it.

Thomas L. Frederick Jr., RWSA's executive director, said that Virginia Department of Environmental Quality staff has signed off on the plan. The State Water Control Board may make a final decision on whether to allow the RWSA to move ahead with its plans in March, Frederick said.

Officials from the city and county have also been meeting to figure out how to pay for the improvements. A recommendation to the City Council and the Board of Supervisors is expected soon.