Prince William County Service Authority Awarded $37 Million Water Quality Grant

The Prince William County Service Authority (PWCSA) has been awarded a grant valued at $37,125,995 from Virginia's Water Quality Improvement Fund. This grant has been awarded per an agreement between Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and PWCSA to reduce effluent levels of nitrogen and phosphorus at the H. L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility, which will help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

In October 2007, PWCSA began phase I of Virginia’s largest wastewater treatment design/build upgrade of the Mooney facility that will eventually reduce the amount of effluent nitrogen levels from 8 mg/L to 3 mg/L and effluent phosphorus levels down to .18 mg/L. Treated water released from the facility eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Reducing these nutrient levels will help abate harmful algae blooms in the bay that affect fish, shellfish and the entire ecosystem reliant on the bay.

"It is our mission to be good stewards of the environment and we are especially pleased to receive this grant to help us improve water quality," said PWCSA Board Chairman Durward E. Grubbs. "This not only better serves our customers in Prince William County by reducing mandated-upgrade cost burdens, but everyone along the Chesapeake Bay watershed," he said.

The Water Quality Improvement Fund was established out of the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1997, Chapter 21.1, Title 10.1, to allocate money to reduce point source pollution projects throughout the state of Virginia. As per agreement with PWCSA, the contract with the DEQ states that the funding "provides for payment of the grant, design and construction of the Project, and proper long-term operation, monitoring, and maintenance of the Project."

"We look forward to working with the service authority on designing and implementing this nutrient related project to the mutual benefit of the service authority, their customers and the Commonwealth," said Robert Ehrhart, program manager for the Water Quality Improvement Fund.

Service Authority General Manager Dean E. Dickey said there was a great team effort to receive the grant. "Our Director of Engineering Chuck Weber, our consultants and staff did an excellent job to get this done," Dickey said. “This is great news for our customers and the environment. We take financial stewardship very seriously. The grant reduces the financial burden on our customers while improving water quality and strengthening the health of the Chesapeake Bay."

Source: The Prince William County Service Authority