New at the Shockoe Basin

The Shockoe Basin is a combined sewer and sanitary water facility on the north side of the James River. Combined sewer flow leaves Shockoe and crosses the James before entering the wastewater treatment plant on the south side of the river.

During dry weather, water flows pass this diversion structure directly to the treatment plant. During wet weather and high flows, some or most of the flow is diverted to this 35-million gallon basin where the flow is equalized on its way to the plant.

During 2009, improvements were made to the crossover chamber, allowing stormwater from Shockoe Bottom to be directed to the river without mixing with the combined sewer flows. This recent modification is for more efficient operation.

During 2010, the basin was cleaned. Because stormwater flow surges are diverted to and held at the basin, sediment collects there. An estimated 70,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed by the summer of 2010.

Diversion structure improvements during 2010 included refurbishing the bar screen rake in the west end of the structure to assist with the removal of debris, leaves and tree limbs from sewer flows.

Is Richmond water hard or soft?

Richmond's water hardness is slightly hard.

Hard water requires more soap and synthetic detergents for home laundry and washing and contributes to scaling in boilers and industrial equipment. Hardness is caused by compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a variety of other metals.

Water is an excellent solvent and readily dissolves minerals it comes in contact with. As water moves through soil and rock, it dissolves very small amounts of minerals and holds them in solution. Calcium and magnesium dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water "hard."

The water produced by the city of Richmond is considered "slightly hard" to "moderately hard." Hard drinking water generally contributes a small amount toward total calcium and magnesium human dietary needs.

But hard water makes it more difficult to wash your hair. Each hair shaft is made up of little scales, like roof shingles, and hard water makes the scales stand up. Your hair feels rough and tangly afterward, so you use a cream rinse to soften it. Since rainwater is soft, mineral-free water, try collecting it for a different hair-washing experience and then compare. How is it different? Can you notice?

All About Biosolids

Biosolids, also known as treated sludge, is the byproduct of domestic and commercial sewage and wastewater treatment. Properly treated biosolids can be used as fertilizer. The term biosolids was created in 1991 by the Water Environment Foundation to differentiate raw, untreated sewage sludge from treated and tested sludge that can be beneficially used as fertilizer. In Richmond, the sewage goes through physical, chemical and biological processes that clean the wastewater and removes solids. In 2009, Richmondwas treating about 45 million gallons of wastewater a day and discharging the clean, treated water into the James River. The City's wastewater treatment plant recycles its biosolids to farms in close proximity to Richmond, which in 2009 was 43 farms in nine surrounding counties, including Amelia, Buckingham, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Cumberland, Hanover, King William, and Powhatan. 

Take Precautions Around Gas Meters

As the owner or occupant of a building supplied with natural gas, you have a responsibility to ensure the gas meter, regulator and associated piping are protected from damage. You are responsible for the maintenance of any piping from the gas meter to your gas appliances.

Take care around gas piping when using your lawn mower, brush cutter or digging in garden beds. Do not scratch or damage the protective coating on the meter and piping. Do not hang things from the gas piping.

Do not chain a pet, bicycle, gas grill or anything else to the gas meter or piping.

Do not anchor laundry lines or plant supports to the gas meter or piping.

Maintain a safe clearance between your gas, charcoal or propane grill and the gas meter.

Maintain a 2-foot clearance to allow access to the meter and meter shut-off valve. Maintain at least a 3-foot clearance around commercial meters.

Do not disconnect, move or disturb the gas meter.

Do not change or alter the service connection in any manner.

Call 811 at least three full business days before digging in your yard. This will allow time for the utility lines buried in the area to be marked. The call and mark-out service are free.

What do those colors mean?

You may have seen little flags in the ground, or painted markings on the ground and wondered what they mean. They mark underground utilities. Here's a guide:

RED - Electric power lines, cables, conduit and lighting cables.
YELLOW. (Yellow )- Gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials
ORANGE - Communications, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduits.
BLUE - Potable water.
PURPLE - Reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines.
GREEN - Sewer and drain lines.
PINK - Temporary survey markings.
WHITE - Proposed excavation.

Green markings on a storm drain also mean it has been treated for mosquitoes.

From the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Division of Utility and Railroad Safety, July 2007

A Tubercle- Free Fan: Mission Accomplished!

Do you know what tubercles are and what they do to your water supply?

Tubercles form inside water mains as a result of corrosion. They consist of layers of rust, building up over time to form lumps and mounds inside the pipe. Tubercles can severely reduce the full flow of water through a pipe. If your water pressure is low or your water is cloudy, it could be caused by tubercles.

In 1983, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities created a rehabilitation program for the city’s water pipe system. This Cleaning and Lining Program was designed to improve water quality at a lower cost than replacing existing water mains by drilling out and relining existing water mains with cement mortar.

Neighborhoods targeted for cleaning were the ones that had a high frequency of water pressure complaints, aging pipelines, cloudy water, and a history of water main breaks.

Cleaning and lining was done from spring to fall, so neighborhoods as large as the Fan took four to five years to complete, one section at a time. The project was completed in 2014.

Green Alleys

In 2009, the Department of Public Utilities implemented a Green Alley Demonstration Project at two locations, the alley connecting S. 12th and S. 13th streets, between Main and Cary, and the alley connecting 5th and Main streets, between Main and Cary.

The 12th street location is a doglegged alley with an impermeable surface that slopes toward Shockoe Bottom, an area that has experienced severe flooding in the past. The 5th Street alley is relatively flat, although covered with impermeable asphalt that results in a basin effect during even minor rainfall. By using permeable surfacing, rain gardens, cisterns, and other stormwater management techniques, these alleys were transformed into models for adopting green alley design as a standard, citywide practice.

Retrofitting alleys with green techniques has proven effective at solving stormwater runoff problems in urban areas such as Chicago. Alleys are often holding areas for garbage, construction materials and equipment, increasing the amount of pollution collected in stormwater runoff and carried to the James River and Chesapeake Bay.

This project was the first application of green alley stormwater management in a city within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The alleys were selected for their different physical characteristics and location in high profile areas susceptible to flooding.