Front Royal poised to approve feasibility study of backup corridor H2O line

A map of Front Royal’s existing water lines and the corridor extension heading north across the rivers in red. Photos/Roger Bianchini

At its October 15 work session the Front Royal Town Council got a briefing on the status of a study of providing a backup water line into the Route 522 North Corridor.  The Town’s largest water user, the Dominion Power plant off Rockland Road has long pushed for the redundant water line to assure its operations would not be interrupted by a line break in the Town’s lone existing water service line into the county’s north corridor.

Dominion’s operations are highly dependent on water service as an integral part of its cooling system.  As noted in a related work session story on the Town’s enterprise fund balances, Dominion estimates annual water usage at 50-million gallons at a cost of about $1 million.  Dominion has committed $3.5 million to the new water line project. See Related Story

However that financial commitment made in 2011 now has only $3.1 million of purchasing power, Dominion Plant Director Ray Sommerfeld pointed out to council.  A two-year-old project cost estimate of $5.5 million is also obsolete due to rising construction costs, Town Manager Joe Waltz noted.

And while town elected officials have lobbied Dominion to pay more, if not all of the line’s cost dating back to 2011, power company officials have countered that the new line will be designed, not only to service Dominion’s water needs, but also planned future development throughout the county’s north corridor.

Power plant Director Sommerfeld urged council to expedite the long-floundering project – “The reliability of the power station is dependent on this,” he told council and the mayor.

Dominion Plant Director Ray Sommerfeld urges council to expedite redundant water line process.

“Cost is the big issue,” Mayor Hollis Tharpe commented of an ongoing council concern that has bogged down progress toward realization of the project through two mayors and several incarnations of council.

Project consultant CHA representative Steve Steele said there is no current total project cost estimate on the table pending a suggested feasibility study he outlined to council at the work session.

At the conclusion of the presentation and council discussion seen on the Royal Examiner video below, council – at least the four members present – DID appear committed to authorizing the requested funding of $43,900 to proceed with CHA’s alternate waterline feasibility study.  That corridor water service reliability study is designed to establish the two best waterline route options; the “constructability” of both based on logistical issues; and relative costs as a means of determining a preferred route.

Consultant CHA’s Steve Steele presents power point on corridor water reliability feasibility study under the watchful Royal Examiner eye.