The story below is from our September/October 2020 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Water is among the primary apprehensions of every locality in the United States. How stable are the Roanoke Valley’s sources?
The supply and quality of the water in the Roanoke Valley is a constant consideration for leaders who worry about drought, pollution, sufficient supply and even recreational value. The Valley is full of water, but how good is it and will there be enough in the future?
Wayne Strickland, director Roanoke/Alleghany Regional Commission, says water quality in the Roanoke Valley is improving, but “there is still work to do.”
Eleven of the 13 tributaries of the Roanoke River are “impaired” according to Roanoke City’s website. The primary pollutant for most of the tributaries is bacteria (E. coli) that comes from pet waste, sewer failure, non-functioning septic systems, agriculture, and natural sources, like wildlife. Sediment and PCBs are also problematic.
The Western Virginia Water Authority’s capital plan provides for improvements at its water treatment plants and the construction of a new plant, the Muse Spring Water Treatment Facility.
The Roanoke Valley’s water needs are served from a number of sources:
- Carvins Cove
- Falling Creek
- Beaverdam Creek
- Smith Mountain Lake
- Roanoke River and its tributaries
- Spring Hollow Reservoir
- Vinton’s 10 town-owned wells
- Private wells in Roanoke County
Smith Mountain Lake has been identified as “the best future option for an additional supply” of water for the Valley by the Water Authority.
Roanoke’s “blueways” are part of a marketing plan to attract young professionals with recreational potential. Carvins Cove, Smith Mountain Lake, the Roanoke River and some of its feeder streams offer ample opportunity for boating and fishing.
Sarah Baumgardner, PR director for the Water Authority, lays out some statistics. “Based on the past five fiscal years, the authority has billed an average of 5.1 billion gallons of water per year. The annual yield from our sources is 18.9 billion gallons. … The population of the Roanoke area increased 0.58% from 2017 to 2018. If we use very generous population growth of 1% to estimate demand, we do not reach our yield until we are beyond year 2119. At a 2% growth rate we reach our current yield in 2085.”
The Carvins Cove Reservoir holds 6.42 billion gallons of water at full pond and Spring Hollow Reservoir holds 3.2 billion gallons at full pond. Both were full in late spring.
“Based on current demand, these reservoirs store two years worth of water,” says Baumgardner.
Kip Foster of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in Salem says that “having several sources of drinking water that are interconnected throughout the Valley provides us great protection in the event of a drought. The Water Authority manages and maintains one of the most advanced wastewater treatment plants in the state and protects water quality throughout the Valley every day by treating all the wastewater that we send to the sewer system.”
The water quality of the Roanoke River and its tributaries is clean and clear “except when it rains,” says Foster. “Stormwater runoff erodes stream banks and carries pollutants from streets and rooftops. We need to allow runoff to soak into the ground to reduce the volume reaching our streams. To do this, each property owner needs to consider installing best management practices, such as rain barrels, grass filter strips and rain ‘gardens.’”
Barring a major drought, says Strickland, “our water supply should be sufficient; however, there may be some deficits in the near future and over the next decade. … If our population growth in the next 10 years exceeds one to 1.5% annually, then we may have to look more closely at water supply issues.”
Environmental activist Diana Christopulos believes the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline poses a significant threat to the quality of water in the Roanoke Valley. MVP, she says, “would cross the Roanoke River and its tributaries over 120 times upstream of the cities of Salem and Roanoke. A study performed by an MVP stated that any uncontained sediment from the project would wash all the way to Niagara Dam or Smith Mountain Lake. … The City of Roanoke has repeatedly stated that MVP will increase stormwater fees in the Roanoke River by over $37 million per year, based on MVP’s own study.”
Kip Foster counters that “the MVP pipeline is routinely inspected by DEQ staff and third-party contractors to maintain effective best management practices.”
Water is a primary concern that isn’t going anywhere. This region is blessed with abundant sources, but effectively and efficiently managing them is the challenge.
The story above is from our September/October 2020 issue. For the full story subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
