Town looking to comply with wastewater requirements

Published 11:40 am Thursday, January 16, 2020

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Efforts to comply with wastewater treatment requirements have Town of Victoria officials examining the town’s options with the state.

Victoria currently operates two wastewater treatment facilities, and due to future compliance requirements the town will begin exploring options to be compliant with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requirements to protect the environment, Town Manager Rodney Newton said.

“The first step of this process is to complete a feasibility study to determine what options the town has and estimated costs,” he said. “It is very early in the process as we are negotiating the feasibility study at this time.”

Last fall, the town mailed out letters to residents about high levels of total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) in the drinking water. Consequently, Victoria officials began preparing to purchase a mixer to reduce another such instance. The mixer and installation of electrical circuitry to ground level is expected to cost around $15,000.

Town officials said part of the problem is that at times water stands in the town’s tank and doesn’t move.

During the day, the water treatment facility produces water and fills the town’s elevated tank to its 500,000-gallon capacity, but at the end of the day the facility shuts down and all water is supplied from its storage, Netwon explained at the time.

Typically, he said, the level of the water will drop 100,000 to 150,000 gallons overnight depending on usage.