CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) is advancing construction along Woodburn Rd. on a raw water line, aiming to connect the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir and the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. The line will be 6.5 miles long and will be able to transfer up to 25 million gallons per day.
Having started in March, the stages of the project will advance in six segments, and pipe installation is projected to finish by 2028. 2,500 feet of pipe have already been constructed so far on the first segment – on Woodburn Rd. – with RWSA’s contractor, Garney Companies Inc., mobilizing segment five on Colthurst Dr. and Barracks Rd. through September.
RWSA Communication and Outreach Coordinator Westley Kern explained the project will make water infrastructure more efficient by moving water between the three reservoirs – essentially connecting the sources – and different treatment plants.
RWSA is also looking to balance different reservoir capacities with the size of their watershed, a current issue for the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, which has 8 million gallons of water capacity but draws from a 250-square mile watershed, and the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, which has space for 14 billion gallons but watershed of two square miles.
“(The pipeline) is going to connect two of our reservoirs together, allowing us to effectively transport that water from one reservoir, which has a massive watershed to another reservoir, which has a massive storage capacity,” Kern said.
Residents and those passing through Colthurst Drive can expect moving supplies and materials to an area south of the neighborhood, with paint markings on roads, pavement saw cutting and test pitting also occurring. Installation of the pipes is projected to begin July 20, starting south of the Barracks Road and Colthurst Drive intersection and moving from there.
Working hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two-way traffic will be maintained during work, and night work is planned for the crossing at Barracks Rd. in mid to late September, around when the segment is set to conclude.
Amid unprecedented high temperatures that have made outdoor activities difficult and even dangerous in Albemarle County and Charlottesville, Kern said that crew safety is an important priority. However, one benefit of the weather is the lack of rain in the past few weeks has made pipeline construction easier.
“Because we haven’t had a lot of rain, there’s been fewer missed days,” Kern said. “That has actually helped expediate progress on the project which has been helpful on those regards, although we certainly want to see more rain in the forecast.”
As construction continues, RWSA will continue reaching out to affected neighborhoods, with community meetings, postcards, door hangers and knocking on doors so residents are not caught off guard by the construction.
Other segments include one on Albemarle County Public School Property and Private Property running from April 2026 to December 2027, another on Birdwood Golf Course and Westover Farm slotted for January 2027 through March 2027, a segment on Lambs Rd. planned for summer 2027 and a final section on Rio Rd. and Hydraulic Rd. to begin in March 2027 and end October 2028.
The new pipeline connection project is the result of the 2012 Community Water Supply Plan, a decade-long planning effort following a record drought in 2002. The plan aims to significantly improve drinking water infrastructure and increase capacity by strengthening the Ragged Mountain Reservoir and replacing raw water pipelines and pump stations. Additional projects include renovating the South Rivanna and Observatory Water Treatment Plants, and a new raw water intake and pump station built by the South Rivanna Dam, which will have capacity to pump 41 million gallons of water per day.
Although the project is still underway, Kern noted that its scale is unprecedented for RWSA and stands to have a massive impact on local water infrastructure.
“In complete transparency, this project is by far the largest project we’ve ever [been] awarded,” Kern said. “It’s definitely a noteworthy project and something that we’re excited to see get off the ground.”
