25122 Regal Drive

Abingdon, VA 24211

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1-276-628-7151

Email Address

WCSA Continues to Work on Numerous Infrastructure Repairs

In The Pipe - Summer-Fall

Flooding caused approximately $21.1M in damages

When Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic flood swept through Washington County in late September 2024, it left widespread destruction behind — affecting homes, businesses, roads and utilities. Among the many challenges facing the community were an estimated $21.1 million in waterline and infrastructure damages that the Washington County Service Authority (WCSA) had to address.

The flooding severely impacted WCSA’s waterline, which supplies 2,263 customers in the Town of Damascus and the Taylors Valley area with 1 million gallons of drinking water per day. More than 36,000 feet of waterline between Damascus and the Taylors Valley Spring was washed out or damaged.

Law enforcement and residents stand at the edge of a flooded main street in Damascus, Virginia, as muddy water flows past downtown buildings.

Within the Town of Damacus, 800 linear feet of the sewer collection lines were washed out or filled with debris, and associated sewer manholes were swept away. Several water and sewer lines were broken within the flooded areas. High winds also caused widespread power outages that required WCSA to distribute generators to many of its water pumping and sewer lift stations. 

“WCSA’s immediate response to this crisis was to restore water and sewer service to the Town of Damascus, and water service to the Taylors Valley community as soon as possible,” says Ron Seay, WCSA’s general manager. “That is exactly what our maintenance crews did.” 

Many waterlines had to be replaced before water could be distributed to these areas. WCSA worked vigorously to supply water from the Mill Creek Plant to the east side of Damascus, where the line that supplied water had been washed out. The west side of town was restored by re-routing water from WCSA’s Middle Fork Drinking Water Plant. WCSA completed restoration of water service to the Town of Damascus nine days after the hurricane hit the area.

Road crews in safety vests inspect the washed-out Route 725 bridge in Taylors Valley, amid debris, damaged guardrail, and floodwater near a farmhouse.

Due to the vast amount of devastation in the Taylors Valley community, it was several days before WCSA could gain access to many of the damaged areas. Multiple teams of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) workers came together to assemble, install and repair two bridges in Taylors Valley, and restore access to the community. 

After gaining access, WCSA repaired leaks and cleaned flood debris from the 12-inch spring line, and repaired leaks on Chestnut Mountain Road. WCSA maintenance crews put in countless hours of repairs to reestablish water service to the community. These efforts resulted in water service being restored to Taylors Valley in 12 days. 

Restoring sewer service to the Town of Damascus required WCSA to bring in out-of-state sewer bypass pumps and associated piping. Temporary pumps were installed to address the sewer line damage until permanent repairs could be made. Sewer service was restored to the town in eight days.

“All of these services could not have been reinstated without the hard work and dedication of our production and maintenance departments,” Seay says.

Looking Ahead

Aerial view of Damascus, Virginia, with muddy floodwaters inundating downtown streets, homes, and businesses amid surrounding trees.

WCSA is currently working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Drinking Water, the Department of Environmental Quality, Washington County and USDA Rural Development on funding assistance for the recovery efforts. 

These agencies have been working tirelessly, assisting WCSA with obtaining the needed funds to perform these recovery efforts. To date, FEMA and VDEM have obligated $8.7 million. Washington County has contributed $200,000 to assist with the waterline repairs that will be performed along the Creeper Trail between Straight Branch and Taylors Valley. 

“Financial assistance is imperative since authorities such as WCSA cannot budget in advance for catastrophic events like Hurricane Helene,” Seay says. “Our funding partners have stepped in and are working side-by-side with us to provide the capital we need for recovery.” 

Phase 1

To replace the 12-inch waterline from Damascus to Taylors Valley Spring, WCSA’s Taylors Valley Waterline Replacement Project has been divided into four phases totaling an estimated cost of $18.9 million. 

The Phase 1 project spans from the Route 58/91 intersection to Straight Branch. WCSA signed an emergency contract with W-L Construction & Paving to install nearly 15,500 linear feet of waterline in conjunction with the VDOT Route 58 roadway rebuilding. This phase of the project is nearing completion.

Phase 2

For Phase 2, the line will be installed from Taylors Valley to Reservation Spring, replacing approximately 3,258 linear feet of waterline from Reservation Spring to Taylors Valley. 

The project is currently in the design phase and WCSA is working on easements. 

Phase 3

The Phase 3 project, which is the most complicated, spans from Straight Branch into Taylors Valley, with approximately 11,210 linear feet of 12-inch waterline needing replacement because several bridges and sections of the Virginia Creeper Trail were washed out. This section also traverses through U.S Forest Service property, where planning efforts are underway to rebuild the Creeper Trail. 

The waterline path will follow the path of the trail. WCSA is under contract with Thompson & Litton Engineering to formulate engineering plans for the waterline project. WCSA will coordinate its waterline rebuilding with the Forest Service.

Phase 4

The Phase 4 project will replace 6,084 linear feet of waterline from the Route 58/91 intersection along the Virginia Creeper Trail to Backer Lane. This phase contains a major river crossing that links the east and west sides of Damascus. WCSA plans to advertise for construction bids for Phase 4 in early fall 2025. 

Permanent repair and replacement of the Damascus sewer system is underway. Impacted sections of line are located on Orchard Hill and North Railroad Street, where the sewer line spans across two sections of Laurel Creek and River Island. 

WCSA has a current construction contract with McFall Excavating and an engineering contract with Thompson & Litton. Approximately 75 percent of the work is completed. Work remaining to be completed includes replacing two additional manholes on Orchard Hill and riprap bank stabilization on North Railroad Street. Our contractor and engineer have done a phenomenal job in getting permanent sewer service restored.

“As WCSA continues our efforts to restore water and sewer service to the operational state before Hurricane Helene, we appreciate the understanding and patience our customers have demonstrated,” Seay says. “WCSA is working diligently to complete our Hurricane Helene recovery projects on an expedited timeline for our customers.”

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