Hopewell sues 3 companies over wastewater facility funding

HOPEWELL, Va. — The City of Hopewell has filed a lawsuit against three industrial manufacturers, alleging they failed to pay their share of operating and improvement costs for the city's wastewater treatment facility — the same facility at the center of a major sewage spill over the summer.

The lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court for the City of Hopewell on Sept. 23, names AdvanSix, Ashland Specialty Ingredients and WestRock as defendants. Under a 1995 agreement, each company agreed to pay an allocated share of the cost of operating Hopewell Water Renewal, or HWR, the city's wastewater treatment facility, and funding capital improvements to it.

The city said the three companies have not provided the funding necessary to support the facility's capital improvements, maintenance, or day-to-day operations, leaving Hopewell to cover those costs with its own resources. The city said that underfunding has contributed to deteriorating conditions at the facility.

WATCH: Hopewell sewage spill sends estimated 1 million gallons into swampy area near James River

The consequences of those conditions came into sharp focus in July 2026, when a 3-inch hole in a 24-inch sewage pipe near HWR's First Street Pump Station was discovered leaking. Work crews spotted sewage bubbling up from the ground on July 14. An estimated 1 million gallons flowed out within the first 48 hours, prompting state monitoring over concerns the waste could reach the James River.

A repair attempt two days later did not hold due to extreme pressure in the pipe, though it did slow the flow of escaping sewage.

The First Street Pump Station could not be shut down during repairs because it handles more than 1 million gallons of residential sewage per day — roughly half of the city's total.

The sewage that escaped spread outward from the break site into surrounding natural drainage areas. The broken pipe sat near Cattail Creek, which drains into Bailey's Creek and ultimately flows into the James River at Bailey Bay, several miles away. Both the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health monitored the situation

Through the lawsuit, the city is seeking to recover amounts owed for past years and to confirm the manufacturers' obligations going forward for the facility's operations and upgrades. The city said the action is necessary to protect the long-term safety and sustainability of a critical piece of infrastructure, essential not only to Hopewell residents, but to the industries and businesses that depend on the facility.

The city said it is confident in its legal position and believes the action is in the best interest of Hopewell residents and businesses. The city said it cannot comment further while the case is active.

RELATED: State cited Hopewell for inoperable equipment months before massive sewage spill into James River

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