Modification will expand public wastewater services to hundreds of residents and businesses, increase jobs and bring additional revenue to Abingdon
ABINGDON, Va. – The Abingdon Town Council, Washington County Board of Supervisors and Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the wastewater service agreement between all three entities at a joint special meeting held Tuesday evening.
This action, which amends the 2010 agreement, enlarges WCSA’s existing wastewater service area to include most of the Wilson District, located in western Washington County, produces additional jobs and increases Abingdon’s annual revenues.
In addition, the amendment enables WCSA to complete a long-envisioned expansion of sanitary sewer services to residents and businesses in the western portion of Washington County. In 2018, the service authority secured $18.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service to extend a sewer conveyance system to residents and businesses along Lee Highway and Jonesboro Road between Exit 13 and the city of Bristol, Virginia. Approximately 111 existing residents and businesses will immediately receive public wastewater service as a result of this project, while an estimated 731 additional existing residents and businesses will have access to public sewer service when the overall expansion project is complete.
“This modification to the original agreement is the result of a lot of hard work that has been put forth by committed individuals on behalf of the town, county and WCSA — people who are determined to achieve the best possible outcome for residents and businesses in our community,” says Robbie Cornett, general manager of WCSA. “This project is the next step in a long line of forward-thinking objectives that will provide the backbone for a sewer conveyance system along these two corridors (Lee Highway and Jonesboro Road).”
Currently in the planning stages, the project is expected to take approximately three years from initial design to completion and will be executed in a series of phases.
“We are very excited to obtain sewer service for this area,” says Dwayne Ball, member of the Washington County Board of Supervisors, who represents the Wilson District. “I believe that it will be a great asset to the area and will promote business growth in the county. Many neighborhoods in the area will benefit from the line extension as well.”
Since 2011, WCSA has invested approximately $15.3 million to complete four wastewater service projects, resulting in access to public wastewater service for 386 existing residents and businesses, and provision of a half-million gallons per day of wastewater capacity to the Oak Park Center for Business and Industry at no upfront cost. Along with providing a much-needed service to existing and future residents and businesses, these past and current projects account for 169 direct and 371 indirect jobs. According to the Water Research Foundation, for every $1 million invested in a water or wastewater project, there is a direct impact of five jobs and an indirect impact of 11 jobs.
These investments also bring added revenue for the town of Abingdon. Upon completion, the sewer conveyance system project is expected to generate an additional $290,000 in new annual wastewater revenue. As adjoining neighborhoods are connected to the system, the town is expected to receive a total of $340,000 in new annual wastewater revenue.
More About WCSA
The WCSA serves approximately 22,000 water connections and 2,300 wastewater connections in Washington County, Virginia, and surrounding areas. The water system consists of an estimated 900 miles of water line, a 12-million-gallon-per-day surface water treatment plant, a 3.1-million-gallon-per-day membrane filtration plant, two springs, one well, 29 pump stations and 22 water storage tanks. The wastewater system consists of approximately 70 miles of wastewater collection lines, 29 lift stations and two wastewater treatment plants. For more information about WCSA, visit www.wcsawater.com.
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For additional information, contact Robbie Cornett,
general manager, at 276-628-7151, ext. 224.