Arlington and Prince William counties will each receive over $40 million of the $190 million in funds that the Virginia Resources Authority has granted to statewide wastewater treatment facilities to maintain the Chesapeake Bay.
Arlington County will receive the largest project investment, at $50 million, to continue upgrades to its Water Pollution Control Plant.
Phil Loar, a county spokesman, said that the county began planning for the $565 million upgrade to the facility in 2001.
“There’s a lot of pressure [from a number of sources] to improve the quality of the bay,” he said. “Resources like this [are] essential.”
“Arlington tries to be on the forefront of protecting the environment,” he continued. “This money will help us get to it sooner.”
He said that the project in Arlington is focused on two major improvements: increasing the treatment capacity of the plant from 30 million to 40 million gallons of water per day and handling increased water inflow during storms, and removing the amount of nitrogen that is leaking from the plant and making its way into the watershed.
“The upgrades will continue to reduce our nitrogen output, which will directly impact the health of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay in a positive manner,” said Larry Slattery, chief of the County’s Water Pollution Control Bureau. “And that’s good news for the environment, for fish and wildlife, and for all those who enjoy the Commonwealth’s abundant natural resources.”
Keenan Howell, communications director for the Prince William County Service Authority, said that the county is currently involved in a $150 million upgrade to its waste treatment facility. The VRA will provide Prince William with $41 million to assist in the upgrade.
The state authority will also provide the City of Alexandria with $15 million to assist in its contribution to the upgrades at the Arlington plant. Part of the wastewater that goes to the plant comes from Alexandria.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine applauded the VRA for the investment.
The funds “come on top of the $660 million my Administration has dedicated to cleaning up point-source pollution of the bay,” he said. “It is vitally important that we continue our efforts to reduce these pollution sources that affect the bay and its tributaries.”
