Charlottesville Stock Photography
January 2010 Issue 6 of 6
In the previous five issues of Our Water Our Future,
Charlottesville Tomorrow has presented an in-depth update
on the key issues related to the future of our local water
supply. In this sixth and final issue, we outline the decisions
confronting this community in 2010 as it determines how to
move forward to implement a long-term plan that will provide
a safe and sufficient public water supply.
Closure & Accountability
We need a long range plan that addresses drought,
population growth, and our aging infrastructure.
We need an accurate accounting of the projected costs
of the various elements of the fifty-year water plan.
Since the early 1970s, the community has been assessing
opportunities to expand our water supply storage capacity.
For example, land was purchased near Free Union on Buck
Mountain Creek in 1983 with the intent of building a new
reservoir. That site has since been deemed unsuitable
because of permitting obstacles related to the endangered
SUBSCRIBE HERE! James River Spiny Mussel.
Subscribers to
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s While the Charlottesville-Albemarle community has developed
e-mail alerts will get notified a number of long term water plans over the last 40 years,
of each new issue. none have been successfully implemented to date. It is
no small challenge to find a water plan with broad public
support, a plan that can be financed by ratepayers, and one
that can be approved by regulatory agencies.
The 2002 drought had a major impact on our water
plans. In October 2002, we were within 60 days of running
completely out of public water. As a result, local officials re-
evaluated the previous water supply plans to consider new
alternatives.
Our Water. Our Future. A publication of Charlottesville Tomorrow www.cvilletomorrow.org
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