HRSD to study closing wastewater plants

Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) will be studying the feasibility of closing the Urbanna, Saluda and West Point wastewater treatment plants and sending that wastewater to HRSD’s Williamsburg plant for treatment and discharged into the James River.

This Middle Peninsula Master Plan would require laying at least 25 miles of forced main pipes — 14 miles from Saluda to West Point along General Puller Highway (Route 33), and then 11 miles to connect to the existing forced main in northern James City County. From there it would flow to HRSD’s Williamsburg Treatment Plant. 

The master plan’s recommendations are being incorporated into HRSD’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), said John Dano, chief of planning and analysis at HRSD.

Replying to questions from the Sentinel, Dano wrote, “The recommendation for HRSD to send wastewater flow from Urbanna, Saluda and West Point to HRSD’s Williamsburg Treatment Plant will eliminate treated water discharges to Urbanna Creek by closing the Urbanna and Central Middlesex (Saluda) treatment plants.”