Untreated sewage is seeping into the Rivanna after heavy rains, courtesy of the RWSA. Much like the honeybadger, that’s nasty. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Its not just overflowing holding ponds. At least once or twice a year, in a good rain, it overflows the sewer main that runs through Riverview Park. Its been that way for a long time.
Frederick’s statement: ““We immediately started working on that as a priority as soon as I had identified it,”
That’s not even close to the truth.
If one tenth the effort and expenditure that’s gone into planning the most expensive way to impound drinking water we may or may not need 50 years from now had gone into repairs and upgrades to our sewer system which we desperately need, DEQ wouldn’t have had to get a court order to compel action on RWSA’s part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgXewYjz5Xg
That’s some eye-opening video right there.
Does everyone get that the issue with our sewers are leaky pipes? Here are the facts from RWSA: the current pump station at the entrance to Riverview Park (which handles sewage for UVA, Charlottesville, and Albemarle County north to Camelot) can handle 25 million gals day. The dry weather flows are 8 mgd. Wet weather it’s 51 mgd. So RWSA is building a new pump station that can handle 53 mgd, the projected wet weather flow in 2060. (The projected dry weather flow in 2060 is 12 mgd.) Pretty shoddy sewer system for a world-class city.
When the manholes that line Riverview Park overflow, they form ponds or human waste mixed with runoff which in places will cover even the walking path. Nothing is ever done to clean them up, or alternately to temporarily fence off what is certainly an unsafe area for kids and dogs to be playing. I’ve seen people down there headed for the trail the day after a strong rain and have had to warn them myself what those pools of standing water contain. If the RSWA or City tried to clean them up, the easiest way would be to flush that standing water into the Rivanna, which I’m sure is illegal. Much more difficult would be sucking it up with a vac truck. And expensive. So instead they do nothing.
Anyone whose been following the lies RWSA has told about the reservoir, about sewage overflows, etc won’t be too surprised to see what sort of people they are, but the secret meeting they just had to stab city residents in the back was a mighty low blow.
Until that bunch gets replaced, don’t be foolish enough to believe they serve the public in any way.
That snake David Brown is really a piece of work too. “The small number of attendees, he adds, was “the extent of how many we could invite without it being a public meeting,” as defined by Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act.” I guess that’s how Brown defines “Smart, Citizen-Focused Government.”