[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#ffffff” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ background_image=”https:\/\/wcsawater.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/water-background.jpg”][et_pb_row background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.8)” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” _builder_version=”3.19.17″ border_width_all=”2px” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.17″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.17″]<\/p>\n
Much of WCSA\u2019s water distribution system was built\u00a0more than\u00a060 years ago under President Franklin Roosevelt\u2019s WPA projects during the Depression. Another significant portion of WCSA’s water lines In 1960,\u00a0WCSD purchased\u00a0Legard Water Company, which provided water to Damascus. The Washington County Service Authority was formed in 1976 when the Washington County Sanitary District No. 1 merged with two private water companies: Goodson Kinderhook Water Authority, which included Bristol and southern Washington County, and the Between 1960 and 1976, when the Washington County Sanitary District became the Washington County Service Authority, it acquired several private water companies, expanding its service area to include Bristol, southern Washington County, Damascus, Mendota, and the area between Glade Spring and Saltville.<\/p>\n 1910<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Abingdon Water\u00a0Authority provides water service to Abingdon through wooden transmission lines. One difficulty with serving a rural community is the distance water must travel to reach the customer. WCSA\u2019s distribution system covers approximately 300 square miles, with 900 miles of pipeline. With more than 20,900 customers, WCSA must maintain almost 230 feet of pipeline per customer. Furthermore, a majority of the pipeline in WCSA\u2019s system was installed long ago in Another challenge with serving customers in a mountainous region is the change in elevation encountered within the service area. Washington County\u2019s lowest elevation point is 1,698 feet above sea level, and its highest is 5,520 feet above sea level \u2013 a vertical range of 3,822 feet. Within the water system itself, the elevation change from the lowest to The capacity of WCSA-owned water treatment facilities is 14 million gallons per day. WCSA owns and operates one membrane filtration plant, one conventional surface water treatment plant, one spring and one well. \u00a0Additionally, WCSA purchases water from two different utilities. In total, WCSA\u2019s average distribution of water for 2012 was approximately 7 million gallons per day.<\/p>\n Though extending public water to unserved communities is a top priority, WCSA has a mature water system that demands the majority of our resources. Without properly caring for the existing system, we would be unable to extend water service. Our motto is to provide the highest quality drinking water at the lowest possible cost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The year 1993 marked the genesis of our current sewer system; however, much of our sewer system (through acquisition) dates back to the mid-1970s. We face a number of the same challenges with sewer service as we do with water. WCSA\u2019s collection system covers approximately 25 square miles and is comprised of 68 miles of pipeline (gravity and force main). WCSA currently has more than 2,000 connections and therefore must maintain almost 180 feet of pipeline per customer. Elevation changes For many reasons, sewer is more expensive than water. The capital cost for its installation is more because it must be installed on grade and often must be deeper than water lines. Collection systems requiring pump stations also require WCSA-owned source capacity is 2.22 million gallons per day. WCSA owns and operates two extended, aeration-activated sludge (biological) treatment facilities. Additionally, WCSA maintains conveyance and treatment agreements with two different utilities. In total, WCSA\u2019s average collection of sewer for 2012 was approximately 0.45 million gallons per day. Our motto is to return the highest quality water to the environment at the lowest possible cost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WCSA is almost exclusively funded through the sale of its water and sewer services (connection and monthly user fees). Other than an occasional grant, WCSA receives no outside financial support. WCSA often obtains low-interest loans from governmental agencies such as Rural Development or the Virginia Department of Health, but these loans must be repaid with money earned through the sale of services by WCSA. Water and sewer connection and monthly user fees (revenues) pay all WCSA expenses.<\/p>\n WCSA expenses (revenue requirements) can be placed under two headings: (1) growth-related and (2) non-growth-related. These revenue requirements are outlined as follows:<\/p>\n Growth-related revenue requirements are capital projects that add capacity to the water and sewer system or service extensions. These projects facilitate residential, commercial and industrial growth in Washington County.<\/p>\n Non-growth-related revenue requirements are capital projects related to Our annual operating budget is approximately $10 million. For this reason, WCSA commits itself to continuous improvement. This not only involves regular internal analysis of cost-saving Since 1996, WCSA has completed or is working on more than 200 projects costing $95.94 million. Of the $95.94 million, approximately $59.8 million has been growth related, and $36.1 million has been non-growth related. From 1996 to 2006, WCSA completed $37.17 million worth of capital projects. From 2007 to October 2012 (six years), WCSA began or completed $58.77 million in capital projects, of which $8.19 million was in grant and the remaining $50.58 million was How WCSA is funded, capital projects, operation Another structure is what we think of as the traditional model, where essentially all of the revenue requirements are paid for by way of monthly user fees and not through connection fees. This model is much like paying taxes: Everyone pays taxes but not everyone consumes all the services for which our tax dollars are used. This approach has been around for many years. This is not the WCSA method.<\/p>\n A different rate structure is one that allocates cost only to those who are consuming the services. For example, if you are a current customer, you pay only for the cost to operate, maintain and replace the existing system (non-growth cost). If you are not an existing customer but wish to purchase a new water\/sewer connection, then you pay for the cost to expand the system <\/p>\n The operation and maintenance of More than 150 electric motors, ranging in size from one to 600 horsepower, must be operated to treat, distribute and convey water and sewer daily. A variety of chemicals are used in water and sewer treatment, such as chlorine and fluoride, to name a few. Making sure pumps run when they are supposed All operation and maintenance work requires tools and equipment. Motor, pump and process equipment requires maintenance just like our automobiles, except this is more like an airplane in that we do not want a malfunction to result in A team of 54 water and sewer operators, maintenance, meter distribution Additionally, 19 administrative personnel ensure that the business side of things is operating smoothly. They oversee billing, collections, engineering, human resources, procurement and the like.<\/p>\n WCSA is regulated by many different agencies and statutes. The two primary agencies are the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water Programs (water) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (sewer). Permits are issued by these agencies that direct us to statewide regulations in general, and then set forth specific regulations unique to the environment (such as the stream from which we withdraw or to which we discharge) and the type of facility we operate. Much of what we do revolves around meeting or exceeding these and other regulations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Who is the Washington County Service Authority? Our History Much of WCSA\u2019s water distribution system was built\u00a0more than\u00a060 years ago under President Franklin Roosevelt\u2019s WPA projects during the Depression. Another […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":9,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"xn-wppe-expiration":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-action":[],"xn-wppe-expiration-prefix":[],"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWCSA Timeline<\/h4>\n
1938<\/strong>\u00a0– Washington County Sanitary District No. 1 is formed as part of President Roosevelt\u2019s WPA Plan.
1953<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Goodson Kinderhook Water Authority, a private water company, is created to provide water service to Bristol and southern Washington County.
1960<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 WCSD purchases Legard Water Company, a private water company that provides Damascus with water service.
1960<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013
1976<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Washington County Service Authority is formed by the consolidation of\u00a0WCSD No. 1,
1977<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The new Washington County\u00a0Drinking Water Plant on the Middle Fork of the Holston River\u00a0is put into operation as the main source of WCSA’s drinking water.
1979<\/strong>\u00a0– WCSA has 12,554 water customers.<\/p>\nWater Service<\/h4>\n
Sewer Service<\/h4>\n
<\/h3>\n
WCSA\u2019s Revenues and Expenses<\/h3>\n
Revenues<\/h4>\n
Expenses<\/h4>\n
Capital Projects<\/h4>\n
Rates<\/h4>\n
Operation and Maintenance<\/h3>\n
Regulations<\/h4>\n