HOPEWELL, Va. β Virginia leaders sat down with U.S. Senator Mark Warner in Hopewell to discuss improving the region's water infrastructure and how to pay for it.
The meeting came after thousands of people lost water service during January's Richmond water crisis and again during July's sewage spill from the Hopewell Wastewater Treatment Plant.
"What happened our waste water plant this summer is not something that is just happening here in Hopewell but it's also happening across our region and across our country with our aging drinking and wastewater systems," Hopewell Mayor Johnny Partin Jr. said. "Our aging infrastructure needs significant investment and upgrades to ensure that our citizens are healthy."
Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham shared how his city has close to $1 billion worth of needed infrastructure work.
"Our main water line that goes into the city is 75 years old and those have asbestos pipes and it's going to cost us $25 million to replace that main water line," Parham said.
Richmond Mayor Dr. Danny Avula described some of the changes his city has made to its water treatment plant while echoing the huge need for additional funding.
"We had work to do to make sure that we had the right talent and expertise on board and that we were the right standard operating procedures and doing all of that process work but that doesn't change the fact that we have millions of dollars of investment that need to be made," Avula said.
Warner asked those who gathered how they can think beyond their jurisdictions and more on a regional basis.
"To get this fixed, it's going to take creativity, regional cooperation and bi-partisan cooperation," Warner said.
"I think if we're going to come up with money solutions that every tax payer is helping on this we can no longer allow single localities to run these facilities on their own," Del. Carrie Coyner (R-Hopewell) said.
The conversation further emphasized the need to address water treatment upgrades as soon as possible and the help from federal and state resources.
Warner added that in the next 60 days he's hoping to meet with local leaders again about ways they can get creative in working together to secure federal funding for water infrastructure.
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