Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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| Part of statewide requirement for localities |
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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
By MICKEY POWELL - Bulletin Staff Writer
A water supply plan being prepared by the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) will show how Southside can better deal with drought.
The Smith River runs through Henry County, close to Martinsville, and the Dan River runs through Danville and southern Pittsylvania County. So those areas probably do not have to worry much about a future lack of “surface water,” said WPPDC Executive Director Robert Dowd.
Yet other Southside localities — especially those not near a river and which rely heavily on smaller bodies of water and reservoirs, such as for drinking water — might have more to worry about, Dowd said.
Work on the plan, which must be finished by November 2011, is just now starting. Dowd could not predict what the plan will reveal.
However, he said it will include a “drought response plan” that shows how Southside communities can help each other cope with any water shortages that occur in the future.
The General Assembly has ordered localities to develop water supply plans but is encouraging them to do so by participating in regional plans.
Dowd thinks the plans were mandated due to a lengthy drought that some parts of the state suffered a few years ago that caused water shortages.
The plan for Southside that the WPPDC is preparing will include Martinsville, Ridgeway and Henry County, Stuart and Patrick County and Danville, plus Pittsylvania County and its towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt.
Overall, the plan will give the region “a better understanding” of its water needs for the future, Dowd said. That could help localities with economic development issues and comprehensive planning efforts, he said.
The Henry County Public Service Authority Board of Directors on Monday adopted a resolution of agreement to participate in developing the plan. Martinsville City Council will consider a similar resolution next week.
According to the resolutions, the plan must include descriptions of existing water sources and water uses in the localities, as well as any actions being taken to manage water bodies and a projection of future water demand.
The cost of preparing the plan has been estimated at up to $200,000. But that figure is a worst-case scenario, Dowd said, and the WPPDC plans to seek grant funds from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
“I know we won’t get a large grant, but I hope we get something,” he said.
Phase I, the ongoing phase in which consultants are gathering data, did not require localities to put forth money. Phase II, which will start next year, will involve figuring out water needs, and localities will be expected to pay some of the cost.
The Henry County Board of Supervisors is being asked to spend $38,067 on Phase II, and the city council is being asked to spend $10,133. But amounts they actually pay could be less if the WPPDC gets some grant money, said Martinsville Water Resources Director John Dyches.
Phase III, which will start in 2009, will involve developing recommendations. Dowd said he thinks localities will have to put forth more money then, but it should not be as costly as Phase II.
Since the water supply plan is a state mandate, “we’ve got to do it, so the sooner the better” before preparation costs increase, he said. |
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