Authority expected to name site soon

Members of the Virginia/Carolina Water Authority approved recent bid contracts for construction of a water line between Sparta and Independence, Va.

In addition, the authority was expected to soon name a location for the intake and treatment plant on the New River, which would provide water to the two towns.

The contracts that are three-fold, include a contract for a booster pumping station and two separate contracts for construction of a water line.

Two of the contracts—for the water line construction— were awarded to DLB, Inc., a company with a Hillsville, Va. address. Sparta Town Manager and water authority board member Bryan Edwards explained that “Contract 2” of the contracts is for the North Carolina side of the water line, which will consist of the installation of a 10-inch water line from the state line to the town’s water system. That portion of the project comes with an $882,634 price tag.

The other part of the alternate contract—at a cost of $1,267,132—is for a water line going from the state line into Independence.

The third contract approved was for a booster pumping station on the Virginia side. The contract was awarded to Boggs Municipal Services, Inc. in Wise, Va.

Edwards noted that work is expected to begin around mid-to-latter January.

“We’re hoping they’ll have good weather and can move along quickly to get this part of the project done,” he stated. “Because we were having delays in identifying the intake site, we wanted to go ahead and get the interconnecting line built. The water line will basically run the Highway 21 corridor between Sparta and Independence. Water service will be available when everything’s complete around September or October 2010.

We’re getting this line in place because it’s a good time to be bidding the jobs. Contractors are looking for work. This line has to be in place regardless of where the intake is because this connects the two towns. It’s not dependant upon where the physical water plant winds up being.”

Of the contract awardees, Edwards remarked, “They are very reputable companies…. They’re both Virginia companies licensed to do business in North Carolina; I don’t have any personal insight into them, but they do come very highly recommended through our engineer (Bob Lane with Lane Engineering in Big Stone Gap, Va.).

Site Selection

Regarding rumors of a site for the water treatment facility being selected, Edwards clarified in a Dec. 23 interview the site had not been announced at that time.

“We are continuing to work with a property owner….” offered Edwards, who added the legal work had not been completed at that date.

The members of the Virginia/Carolina water authority held a regular meeting Dec. 11, 2008 with a continuation of the meeting Dec. 22, 2008. Edwards noted yet another continuation of the Dec. 11 meeting was slated for Dec. 30, 2008. Of the meeting at the end of 2008, Edwards said, “We hope we’ll have the legal documents done at that point and time, we may and we may not. If we don’t finalize things then, our next regular meeting will be Jan. 8.

By the early part of the year, Edwards commented there are hopes to “be able to make the announcement about the intake site and any other particulars regarding our easements."

 

Get the whole story - read this week's edition of The Alleghany News!