Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 10, 1994 TAG: 9408100055
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By LEIGH ANNE LARANCE SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The engineering firm of Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern, hired by the city to assess its plant operations, cited safety, lab space, outdated equipment and cement repairs among improvements required to meet new and proposed local, state and federal regulations.
The consultant also expressed concern about storing chemicals - including a highly explosive chemical - at the plant. While this may have been acceptable when the plant was built in the 1940s, "by today's standards there is a safety hazard there," the consultant said.
Officials stressed, however, that the water is safe. "We meet every water quality standard there is," said Jettie Montgomery, director of water and wastewater utilities. "I'm very proud of that fact."
While the water may be fine, the plant itself needs major renovations to avoid the kind of system failures that have plagued other communities also coping with outdated facilities, the consultant said.
The Radford Water Treatment Plant produces between 2 million and 2.5 million gallons daily, providing water for Radford and some Montgomery County residents. Montgomery County Public Service Authority Director Gary Gibson estimated the county buys 55,000 gallons per day for 280 residential customers in the Plum Creek community.
Radford's 50-year-old plant has been upgraded twice, in 1956 and 1970. Montgomery said capital improvements delayed because of budget constraints are coming due.
"From a maintenance standpoint, we've excelled, but from a replacement standpoint we've failed," he said. Some of the 20-, 40- and 50-year-old equipment is beyond repair and must be replaced, he said.
"You've got to admit you've not been spending on this," consultant Robert Canova told council members.
"It's like not going to the dentist for a couple of years and finding out you've got some cavities," Canova said. "If you don't do something, you're going to have to pull some teeth."
Some proposed renovations will simply improve the taste and odor of the water, but others are designed to better filter protozoa, bacteria and viruses and control sediment that can affect the way the plant battles those microorganisms.
If those microorganisms aren't filtered properly, it could mean bad news. "We're dealing with dysentery - diarrhea, if you will - where you don't know whether it was [caused by] a bad can of soup or the water supply," Canova said.
The report identified 21 specific recommendations in three areas, including health and safety improvements totaling $1.2 million, plant performance improvements totaling $698,000, and plant reliability improvements totaling $120,000.
It pointed to antiquated equipment, some of which dates to World War II, and instruments that don't work. "You need to replace those things," Canova said. Labs used for testing water are less than half the size recommended by the State Health Department. Large cracks in the sedimentation basin walls need repair.
"I'm not sure how the personnel manage with what they have," Canova said.
According to the report, chemicals stored in a third-floor room "pose a risk to the health and safety of plant operators" because of inadequate ventilation and because powdered activated carbon, a highly explosive chemical, isn't being stored according to health department regulations.
The report also cited operations and equipment that would not meet current building codes, state health regulations and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
Canova said it would be difficult to prioritize the renovations because they're all vital. "There's not too much fat in this. This is what we believe is necessary to bring the plant up to 1990s and the year 2000 standards," Canova said.
Council members knew some repairs were needed and had set aside about $300,000 for them, but Mayor Thomas Starnes said the extent of repairs outlined in the report came as a shock.
He wasn't alone.
"I feel that we do need to make some improvements," Councilman Dave Worrell said. "But I was quite surprised to find out that we needed that much." He said he thinks the city's next step should be to prioritize the recommendations and set a timeline for improvements.
City officials have not had time even to consider how to fund the renovation.
Montgomery said the study will help council members make those decisions. "We've got a car now with 500,000 miles on it. We've got to do something," he said.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***