When new residential developments have come before the
Albemarle County Planning Commission
this past year, a regular concern voiced by the public relates to the quantity and quality of water resources. Will we have enough water for new development? Will we suffer water pressure or quality problems? In response to concerns raised around rezoning requests like Biscuit Run (South of I-64 between Rt 20S and Old Lynchburg Rd) and Cascadia (Rt 20N near Darden Towe and Pantops), on June 27, 2006, the Commission reviewed the general issue of public water and sewer needs required by new development proposals in the County’s designated growth areas, the areas intended to be serviced by these utilities.
Paul Shoop, the
Albemarle County Service Authority’s (ACSA)
Director of Engineering, discussed the planning horizon for their work, their expectations about the scale and location of growth, their plans to maintain water pressure in areas around Biscuit Run and Pantops, and the process for having new neighborhoods added to public water and sewer when they are outside existing jurisdictional boundaries.
I highly recommend this podcast as Mr. Shoop and the Planning Commission had a very informative discussion about local government’s ability to support new developments, at least for water and sewer needs.
Listen to podcast:
Download 20060627-publicwater.mp3
Some of the major points were as follows:
Note: While it was not mentioned in the meeting, these officials would be among the first to remind the public that, while we have a fifty-year water supply plan, we need to remain diligent on conservation efforts and watershed protection.
Brian Wheeler
