Chesapeake to extend public water to fly ash site

CHESAPEAKE

The city plans to begin construction this fall on a project to extend public water to residents around a golf course sculpted from 1.5 million tons of fly ash.

Dominion Virginia Power, which paid the developers of the Battlefield Golf Club at Centerville to take the fly ash, committed up to $6 million for the project after the discovery last year of elevated levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants in well tests conducted on the course.

But Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff also wants Dominion to pay the connection fees for more than 100 homes and businesses. That could cost at least $3,000 for each home, and possibly much more.

A Dominion spokesman said Tuesday that the company stands by its original financial commitment but had no plans to give more.

"The agreement with the city did not include connection fees or other charges that might be related," said Dominion

spokesman Jim Norvelle. "However, if the city can complete the project for less than $6 million, we would be willing to discuss funding connections from whatever amount remains."

City officials don't know how much the two-phase project will cost. But city documents show the recommended option could cost more than $7 million.

If the project goes according to plan, more than 100 homes and businesses on Centerville Turnpike, Murray Drive and Whittamore Road will be able to connect to the city's water by January 2011.

But it may costs residents thousands to connect to the water. Currently, all of those homes use wells.

City officials say connection fees could range from $3,100 to more than $4,660, depending on a home's meter size. That cost does not include any expenses to redirect plumbing to city facilities and disconnect the wells.

Krasnoff has said Dominion should compensate residents for those fees and plumbing costs.

Although elevated levels of contaminants have been found in tests on the course itself, Dominion officials contend that the residential wells have not been contaminated by fly ash, which is a residue from the burning of coal for electricity.

Dominion has asked a Chesapeake judge to dismiss a $1 billion lawsuit brought by residents who contend that the fly ash caused groundwater contamination.

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency sampled six residential wells for lead, boron and other contaminants. Dominion officials say the latest results released in July show that the residential wells have not been contaminated.

"Based on the EPA's preliminary testing of water samples, there is no evidence of the contamination of any drinking water supply arising out of the construction of the golf course," Norvelle said.

In May, the city questioned the thoroughness of a report from the EPA contractor paid to study possible contamination on the site. City officials said a draft report from the EPA contractor was compiled without using all available data, failed to confirm significantly elevated levels of boron in groundwater beneath the golf course, and provided incomplete recommendations for further testing.

Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com