Lake Monticello Water and Wastewater Systems
Aqua Virginia has had the honor of serving Lake Monticello and surrounding communities since 2003. Our award-winning water and wastewater systems are relied on to bring safe, reliable water to local residents – and our team takes that responsibility very seriously.
Over the past few months, Aqua Virginia has been working with the team at Lake Monticello Owners Association (LMOA) and their water workgroup to increase communications between Aqua and your community. Our goal is to share information about what is happening in our water and wastewater systems to keep you up to date on important information, new projects, routine maintenance activities, and how we can work together to protect our water and natural resources.
You can find more on Aqua’s activities in your community below.
Our water system is providing safe drinking water that meets state permit requirements, and our wastewater treatment plant is compliant with state requirements and effectively protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Last year we experienced several Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), which prompted our review of both our operations and the customer connections supplying our wastewater flow. From that we identified areas where we can proactively improve our system, and are taking action on them:
- Enhancing our monitoring through remote monitoring and smart cover installation
- Enhancing our collection system maintenance with the purchase of equipment to provide more frequent maintenance and faster emergency response
- Studying our capacity and expanding our wastewater treatment plant
- Launching our Grease Trap Inspection Program and taking necessary action when we find commercial customers are not in compliance with program rules
We’re also asking our customers to make sure they’re not putting our system at risk for SSOs – there are small changes to behaviors that can make a big difference:
- Keep fats, oils, grease from going down your sink drain and only flush toilet paper down the toilet
- Do not flush diapers, rags and wipes – even if they say that they are flushable
- Do not dispose of trash, pet waste, or dirty diapers on the beach and areas in and around the lake or near storm drains
- For public and commercial food service establishments, follow our Grease Trap Inspection Program protocols
- You can find much more in the sections linked below
Additional System Information
Lake Monticello at a Glance
Find out about the infrastructure in Lake Monticello’s systems here.
What areas does Aqua Serve?
Our water and wastewater systems provide water to a small regional area around the Lake Monticello Community. Areas included in the Lake Monticello Owners Association (LMOA) that are shown in blue and the surrounding areas that are shown in orange that could be served by Aqua as part of a new or existing development approved by Fluvanna County.
How does Aqua address new development in our Water and Wastewater system?
Lake Monticello is part of the Rivanna Community Planning Area and only a portion of this planning area is served by Aqua Virginia. The Fluvanna County Planning and Zoning Department’s responsibilities include current planning, long range planning, and code enforcement. Aqua participates in the county’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) to determine if new projects can be served by Aqua. As a new project moves forward Aqua’s engineers work with the developer to determine if new infrastructure must be installed by the developer to mitigate impacts to the existing system.
Find out more about new development in Fluvanna County here.
Water System Information
Water Storage Tank Study
- Overview: Study evaluating a future elevated water storage tank to provide additional domestic pressure and fire flow capacity. The feasibility study will provide a path forward for actual design and construction of an elevated storage tank.
- Status: Study is underway, our design consultants are coordinating with Aqua on hydraulic model data.
- Schedule: Design will proceed through 2024
Future Project Development
- Additional hydraulic modeling (tank sizing and evaluations) and review of waterline break data to identify potential waterline replacements.
- Implement study recommendations.
- Preparation of a Preliminary Engineering Report.
- Consultant will move into the formal design phase.
Wastewater System Information
Enhanced Remote Monitoring at Lift Stations
- Overview: Upgrading SCADA remote monitoring on ten lift stations.
- Status: Five lift stations have received SCADA upgrades as of October 2023. The remaining stations will receive upgrades in 2024. The SCADA Control Panels installed to date on the first five sites are monitoring critical pump data, high sewage wet well status, lift station status and alarm notification. Staff have been able to respond in time to resolve issues after sever-al high wet well alarms and no overflows have occurred at any of these sites.
- Schedule: Anticipated completion in Q1 2024
Remote Monitoring with Smart Covers
- Overview: Installation Smart Covers to monitor the wastewater collection system.
- Protect the Environment by:
- Utilize real-time alarms to dispatch crews before over-flows occur.
- Eliminate environmental and community impacts associated with sewer spills.
- Identify locations with capacity constraints to prevent future overflows.
- Protect the Environment by:
- Status: Installed 10 Smart Covers in October 2023, will evaluate the effectiveness and determine if additional covers are needed.
- Schedule: Ongoing
Odor Study
- Overview: Evaluate existing wastewater odor, Identification of potential projects to reduce wastewater odor
- Status: In process
- Schedule: Our engineering team is finalizing the study phase. Future project recommendations should be available in January 2024.
Sewer Conveyance Capacity Study
- Overview: Evaluate existing wastewater conveyance capacity, mostly between Colonial Circle and the WWTP and identify future projects to increase capacity as needed. This study should identify areas for capacity related upgrades (sewer lines, manholes, pump stations.)
- Status: In process
- Schedule: Ongoing
Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
- Overview: Evaluate the feasibility of constructing a third process train for the wastewater treatment plant to increase overall plant/system treatment capacity.
- Status: In process
- Schedule: Design phase will extend through 2024
Out of Bounds Lift Station
- Overview: Replacement of the original lift station after it was determined that repairs could not be made on the existing pumps.
- Status: Completed in Service
- Schedule: Routine operation and maintenance ongoing
Clubhouse Lift Station
- Overview: Replacement of the original lift station after it was determined that repairs could not be made on the existing pumps.
- Status: Completed in Service
- Schedule: Routine operation and maintenance ongoing
Mechunk Lift Station
- Overview: Replacing pumps and riser
- Status: Proposed 2024 Project
- Schedule: To be determined
Riverside Lift Station
- Overview: Replacing entire lift station
- Status: Proposed 2024 Project
- Schedule: To be determined
Lift Station
- Overview: Coordinate upgrade with the Colonial Circle project.
- Status: Proposed 2024 Project
- Schedule: To be determined
Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) project
- Overview: Rehabilitation project to inspect and repair areas were groundwater and/or surface water can or has been getting into the wastewater system. Reduction of sewer flow from I&I that could damage infrastructure and result in higher treatment costs. This I&I program will continue with future I&I reduction projects at Lake Monticello on an ongoing basis.
- Status: Approximately 2.5 miles of sewer line rehabilitation projects completed in Lake Monticello.
- Schedule: Scoping work for 2024.
Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Equipment
- Overview: Purchase of a Jetter Trailer and purchase a Vacuum Tank to replace the need for a third-party vendor for routine operation and maintenance.
- Status: Delivered
- Schedule: Completed
Future Project Development
- Upgrade WWTP pretreatment units
- Continued SCADA implementation
- Implement study recommendations
Protecting Your Water
Protecting Your Water System
Winter weather and cold temperatures can wreak havoc on household plumbing.
As we all know, winter is here, and that means it’s cold outside. While you can keep yourself warm by throwing on another jacket or blanket, it’s important to remember that your pipes don’t have the same option. The water inside them can freeze and expand, causing major problems throughout the winter season.
Find out more about how to protect your pipes from winter weather:
- Winter Is Freezing, But Your Pipes Don't Have to Be! Find out more here.
- Winter Weather Is Not Match for Reliable Water. Read more here.
Protecting Your Wastewater System
Improper disposal of household items like flushable wipes, and fats, oils and grease into the sanitary sewer system is a leading cause of sanitary sewer overflows. This leads to blockages, sewer backups, pipes bursting, and overflows that can enter our streams and lakes.
We Need Your Help to Solve This Problem. If our customers more responsibly dispose of household materials, we can prevent sewer system overflows.
Here's how you can help
- Dispose of household items in the garbage.
- Keep fats, oils, grease from going down your sink drain and only flush toilet paper down the toilet.
- Do not flush diapers, rags and wipes – even if they say that they are flushable.
- Do not dispose of trash, pet waste, or dirty diapers on the beach and areas in and around the lake or near storm drains.
- Watch our short video here.
- Find out how to avoid costly clogs here.
- Find out more about what not to put down the drain here.
- Find out more about what not to flush here.
- If you think you see a leak or spill report it.
- If you think there is a water or wastewater problem contact Aqua at 877.987.2782, or by filling out our online form at https://www.aquawater.com/contact-us.php
- If you think that there is something being dumped into the storm drain, contact Virginia DEQ – Harrisonburg Valley Regional Office or call 540.574.7800
- Learn about your water and wastewater system - Attend our upcoming lunch-and-learns, LMOA Water Working Group meetings and check for project updates on our website.
Grease Trap Inspection Program
As business owners you can make sure your grease trap or interceptor is working correctly by making sure it is:
- Designed, sized and manufactured to handle the expected amount of grease.
- Installed properly, level and vented.
- Cleaned and serviced on a frequent basis.
Find out more about our Grease Trap Inspection Program here.
Let's Stay Connected
- Give us your best contact info for our WaterSmart Alerts - email, text or phone (or all three!) Sign up at https://www.aquawater.com/watersmart-alerts.php
- You can share any feedback by calling 877.987.2782, or by filling out our online form at https://www.aquawater.com/contact-us.php.
- We have resources for customers who need financial help. Get information customer assistance programs at https://www.aquawater.com/customers/customer-assistance-programs/index.php