Story archive - Hook water supply articles

The dream of providing a 50-year water supply has been controversial, as Hook water articles demonstrate. This page also includes links to official and other documents linked by these stories.

 

This page also includes links to official and other documents linked by these stories.

• February 28, 2008 - COVER- Reservoir dogged: A $142 million boondoggle?
2005 report - Gannett Fleming: Ragged Mountain Reservoir Expansion [PDF]
2008 maps - Hook: the urban water system and reservoir proximity to airport [html]

• March 6, 2008 - NEWS- Higher and higher: Frederick claimed dredge cost $225 million 2005 minutes - RWSA - regulator meeting between local officials and regulators [PDF]

• March 13, 2008 - PHOTOPHILE- Wild waters: new dam would inundate hidden park

• March 13, 2008 - COVER-Trickling away: A dam develops amid missed chances
2005 letter - 17 environmental leaders: blasting state dam deadline as 'artificial' [DOC]
2004 resolution - Sally Thomas: blasts RWSA, supports water supply dredging [html]
2004 study - Gannett Fleming: "Safe Yield Study" measures system at 16 MGD [PDF]
2004 study - Gannett Fleming: "Demand Analysis" predicts doubling of usage [PDF]
2008 report - UVA: aggressive conservation measures cut water use over time [html]
2004 minutes - Gannett Fleming says dredging will supply 5.5 MGD [PDF]
2004 report - Gannett Fleming: dredging costs up to $145 million [PDF]
2007 report - Gannett Fleming: dredging costs up to $223 million [PDF]

 

• March 13, 2008 - Surprise! Dredge meets 115% of 50-year demand (online only) 2005 report - Gannett Fleming: contends urban system only supplies 12.8 MGD [html]

 

• March 20, 2008 - NEWS- Case studies: Will new dredge view go entrepreneurial? 2009 budget - RWSA reveals it wants to borrow $105 million [PDF]

• March 27, 2008 - NEWS- 'Full steam ahead': Emails suggest O'Connell, Conservancy blocking dredging

• April 3, 2008 - The water plan ad appears here too (online only) 2008 ad - RWSA claims wide support for water plan [PDF]

• April 3, 2008 - NEWS- 'Conservative' tale: When a single Mud Cat just won't do 2004 memo - RWSA: Frederick dodges no-confidence vote [PDF]
2008 email - Airport Director: blasts dredging supporter, cites Conservancy official [RTF]
2008 letter - Nature Conservancy official recharacterizes role [PDF]

 

• April 17, 2008 - NEWS- Revealing docs: Dredging foes run up the tab
2001 report - VHB: engineers summarize gamut of existing local water knowledge [PDF]
2002 report - RWSA director Tropea enthuses about post-drought plan [powerpoint]
2002 memo - RWSA: finalizes dredge-friendly water supply plan in wake of drought [RTF]
2002 contract - RWSA: original water supply plan Gannett Fleming hired to implement for 798K [PDF]
2003 memo - Gannett Fleming: unveils new dam idea as better than dredging [PDF]
2004 memo - Gannett Fleming: slams prior data, dredging too expensive at $42 million [PDF]
2004 memo - Gannett Fleming: rewrites its mission or "Scope of Services" [PDF]
2005 memo - Gannett Fleming: downplays dredging despite airport & contractor interest [PDF]

• April 24, 2008 - NEWS- Sierra missed: Club urges dredging, O'Connell soldiers on 2008 letter - Sierra Club: urges water supply dredging [RTF]
2008 email - City manager: urges RWSA director to keep a new presentation under wraps [PDF]

• May 1, 2008 - NEWS- Open tap: Dam firm continues to drain city coffers
2008 memo - William Crutchfield: electronics magnate urges more businesslike approach [RTF]
2008 letter - Sally Thomas: County Supervisors replies to Sierra Club, defends plan [RTF]
2008 presentation - Gannett Fleming: draft presentation of $12K anti-dredging report: [PDF]

• May 1, 2008 - Rooker rains on Frederick's parade (online only)

• May 5, 2008 - Dredging confabs: 7pm tonight & 5pm tomorrow (online only)

• May 7, 2008 - Keno, Lynch dredge up divergent views (online only)
2008 notice - A.C.S.A. proposes 20% spike in water rates [PDF]

• May 8, 2008 - NEWS- Dredging 101: New estimate at $25-30 million

• May 8, 2008 - County water rates to spike 20% (online only)
2008 budget - A.C.S.A. slates $7 million in pipe-replacement and other capital projects [spreadsheet]
2009 budget - RWSA: raises water rate to County for water by 2.44, sewer 10.54 percent [PDF]
2008 doc - A.C.S.A.: shows rates rising 1998-2007 [PDF}

• May 11, 2008 - P.E.C. opens new fronts in war on dredging (online only)

• May 14, 2008 - Crutchfield: I'm no dredging expert (online only)

• May 15, 2008 - NEWS- Money pit: Quarry offered as dredging base

• May 22, 2008 - NEWS- Competing visions: Citizens unveil alternate 50-year plan 2002 flyer - Citzens group: offers $81-125 million counter-proposal [PDF].

• May 29, 2008 - NEWS-Empty file? State has no record of water plan
state regulation - Virginia: Title 9 lists the things RWSA has not yet done [PDF]
2008 flyer - RWSA: dubiously claims that DEQ rejected the dredging option [PDF]
2008 report - RWSA: 51-pages of "mitigation" for Ragged Mountain dam/pipeline damage [PDF]
2008 report - RWSA: $7.7 million reforestation, stream mitigation budget [JPG]
2008 report - RWSA: 93-page regulatory "Permit Support Document" [PDF]
2008 letter - Dam/pipeline supporter Dr. Elizabeth Palmer: a "personal perspective" [PDF]"

• June 1, 2008 - Hamilton: reject 'pig in a poke' water scheme (online only)
2008 letter- Kendra Hamilton: Former Councilor cites cost and fairness issues [RTF]
2008 resolution - Gary O'Connell: still supporting official plan despite Council prod  [RTF]

• June 5, 2008 - Schilling blasts water project, O'Connell's 'fiefdom'

• June 5, 2008 - NEWS- Hamilton 'pokes': Council issues demand for dredging

• June 12, 2008 - Duped councilors? Three now slam O'Connell's water leadership

• June 12, 2008 - Albemarle to water authority: Study dredging

• June 15, 2008 - Dredge fans take it to the streets

• June 23, 2008 - Waterworks seeks scopeless dredge proposals

• June 28, 2008 - Dredge this! (online only)

• July 3, 2008 - Overrun O’Connell? Does the City Manager spend too much?

• July 28, 2008 - Frederick: RWSA agrees to delay dredge study

• August 4, 2008 - Stacked deck? Dredge foes outnumber fans on force

• August 7, 2008 - CHO work confounds, excites dredge fans

• September 2, 2008 - Water leak: Another group jumps ship?

• September 22, 2008 - Water surprise: Reservoir halted after price doubles

• September 29, 2008 - Pipe dream: Mega-reservoir tied to moribund Bypass

• October 1, 2008 - Creepy glue: Dam firm settles in death, dodges questions

• October 7, 2008 - Crutchfield Ink: Tycoon urges halt on 'bridge to nowhere'
2008 letter - William Crutchfield: RWSA should halt this 'bridge to nowhere' [DOC]

• October 27, 2008 - Water Authority not ready for pipeline talk

• November 3, 2008 - Neighborhoods press Council on dredging

• November 6, 2008 - Gary, oh! O’Connell finally agrees to halt dam
2008 Resolution - City Council: demands RWSA halt dam/pipeline bottom [DOC, PDF]
2008 email - O’Connell: expresses ignorance that existing dam can be fixed [PDF]
2008 Resolution - City Council: demands dredging & conservation June 2 [DOC, PDF]

• November 10, 2008 - Hide and leak? Dam costs at least $20 million more
2008 press release - RWSA: claims new dam cost "approximately $70 million" [PDF]
2008 cost breakdown - RWSA claims in January dam costs $37 million a [PDF]

• November 14, 2008 - Soil & Water board joins City seeking dam halt

• November 24, 2008 - Pumped up: County water guru says numbers inflated
2008 memo - Water Resources Manager Greg Harper: alleges demand has been inflated on [pdf]
2008 email - Incredulous RWSA board member Gary O’Connell asking about Harper [pdf]
2008 chart - UVA shows vastly reduced water consumption over decade [html]
2008 chart - RWSA figures: show total local consumption falling over decade [pdf]

• December 1, 2008 - Water panic: in giant confab, officials agree to study pipeline

• December 6, 2008 - Gauntlet thrown? County rejects alternate water sources

• December 8, 2008 - Gaffney undrained: Confident water boss seeks fourth term

• December 15, 2008 - Gaffney retained: City parts waters for RWSA helmsman

• January 2, 2009 - Green kit: Is a $1.2 million reservoir in the bag?

• January 13, 2009 - Bicentennial blah: Nothing locally for Poe’s 200th yet

• January 26, 2009 - Water park? Dredge force stresses rowing, not dredging

• February 23, 2009 - Prescribed logic: Water/sewer rates set for 11-12% hike/

• March 2, 2009 - Use dwindles: But water debt may more than triple

• March 3, 2009 - Dredge the res? City Councilors say it’s about time

• March 19, 2009 - County to sell less water, hike rates 12%+/

• May 7, 2009 - Obama quip: Dredging stalls as racial debate rises

• May 14, 2009 - Unblocked reservoir? RWSA may okay dredging study

• May 14, 2009  - Dollar short: Dredging study advances”Š on City tab

• June 18, 2009 - 4X club: Rewarding thrift, County hits water hogs

• June 19, 2009 - Eight firms want to show us how to dredge

• June 25, 2009 - More spending: Rivanna moves past Gannett Fleming

• July 27, 2009 - Down 22%: Water thrift backfires on RWSA

• August 7, 2009 - Can kicked? Waste decried as dredge study firm named

• August 14, 2009 - Snow softens: Only Fenwick is jonesin’ for dredging

• August 25, 2009 - Dredge wedge: Firm late, wants nearly $700K

• September 4, 2009 - Fish jump: But red herrings filleted at dredge test

• September 21, 2009 - Hard path: Waterworks to approve new firm, new spending
2009 Hook chart - Rivanna may reach $12 million w/o adding capacity [pdf]

• October 2, 2009 - Free studies: Firm, Fenwick urge market dredgings

• November 3, 2009 - Slutzky ousted; Machine coasts to victory in City

• January 6, 2010 - Mayor Norris enters den of dam-lovers

• January 28, 2010 - Leaving O’Connell: Departing as Mgr to take water job

• September 16, 2010 - Suddenly Satyendra: Huja may hold key to region’s water future

• September 21, 2010 - Dredge time: Council to save reservoir– and dam when ready

• January 18, 2011 - Goodbye, dredging? Brown, Huja, Szakos opt for mega-dam

• October 18, 2010 - Water shed: County’s anti-dredge insert decried in Council

• October 20, 2010 - Water grab? Frustrated free marketeer proposes reservoir seizure

• June 26, 2011 - 'Ballparking' RWSA: Record low water use and record high RFP?
2011-RWSA-dredging-RFP-memo [pdf]
2000-2010 - Water-Sales-CityCounty-Customers. [pdf]