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Published: January 28, 2009
BY AMY CONDRA

On the heels of a shakeup in the utility department, administrators in Goochland are trying to address a lingering odor issue with water in one of the county’s neighborhood.

In Kinloch, located in the county’s eastern end, water odor has long been a problem. And earlier this week, the firm Draper Arden and Associates presented a report to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD) on the quality of the water. 

While the firm reported some good news in that the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) says it’s safe to drink the water in Kinloch, it also reported bad news—water samples indicate chloramine decay and nitrification.

According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, nitrites can have harmful effects on humans, especially infants.

Low chlorine levels and a low turnover rate of water are most likely to blame, according to the report presented by utility manager Fred Pribble of Draper Aden Associates.

Although a 2007 water report confirmed bacterial levels were acceptable in the Eastern Goochland Water System, which services Kinloch, this hasn’t always been the case.

Goochland County’s Annual Water Quality Report for 2006 shows the presence of bacteria in the area’s drinking water, as well as examples of flawed reporting procedures.

“Your water system had three total coliform bacteriological violations during the year,” the report states. “In October 2006 we had a PMCL violation for total coliform bacteria. We lowered the water level in the Centerville elevated storage tank and increased our flushing to remedy the coliform bacteria contamination.

In November 2006 we had a violation for failure to collect sufficient routine coliform bacteriological samples during the month. We collected only 3 of the 5 required samples. In December 2006 we had violation for failure to notify you of the October 2006 coliform bacteria PMCL violation.”

The report went on to say that coliform bacteria are generally not harmful and are naturally present in the environment but are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may exist.

VDH District engineer Randy Morrisette said that last spring he tested chlorine residual levels in water taken from five Kinloch homes and received results indicating very low levels of chlorination.

The water in that part of Goochland is pumped in from Henrico County, and William I. Mawyer, assistant director of Henrico’s department of public utilities, said that at the Henrico water treatment plant chlorine is added to kill bacteria.“If there is no chlorine in the water, that’s a concern.”

Water is brought to Goochland at a contracted rate of five million gallons per day, but there aren’t yet enough people living in Kinloch to keep water flowing safely through the system.

Goochland’s Director of Community Development Don Charles, who last month was given responsibility for oversight of public utilities as part of a county departmental reorganization, said as water sits in pipes, chlorine can outgas and cause lowered levels of chlorination in the water.

“This leads to bacteria, which leads to odor,” he said. “The flushing of water brings in more chlorination, which takes care of some of these issues.”

Draper Aden Associates advocates a comprehensive flushing system, including the installation of a permanent flush station and a permanent facility to boost disinfectant residuals.

Charles agrees with the idea of a permanent flushing station and said over the past 14 months, the county has regularly flushed the water lines in the Tuckahoe area. Over the past six months alone, the county has spent roughly $35,000 in staff and water costs associated with 64 “flush events.”

Installing an automated flushing station would be effective and cost-effective, he added.

One county supervisor thinks it would also help if nearby Hermitage Country Club tied into the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, which is serviced by the Eastern Goochland Water System.

“If the line was extended to Hermitage, we could flush there into the pond,” said District 3 Supervisor Ned S. Creasey, noting that the water could then be used to irrigate the fields rather than going to waste.

And the club’s water use would add needed water volume, he added.

In the meantime, District 4 Supervisor Malvern “Rudy” Butler said he worries whether Kinloch residents are getting what they’re paying for.

Citizens in that neighborhood are currently paying $2.95 for every 1,000 gallons of water and $3.21 for every 1,000 gallons of sewer. The county has also imposed an ad valorem tax for the TCSD at a rate of 23 cents per every $100 of assessed value.

“Those poor guys pay an extra tax and they’re concerned,” said Butler. “I don’t blame them, I’d be concerned too—what are they getting? They probably doubt everything that happens now.”

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