Purpose
The Central Water Line Project will hydraulically interconnect the Urban Area Drinking Water System, which includes all of the City and designated portions of the County served by public water produced by one of the three Urban Area Water Treatment Plants (South Rivanna, Observatory, North Rivanna). The project will include drinking water transmission pipes which will more efficiently convey drinking water from the Observatory Water Treatment Plant, located near UVA’s Scott Stadium, to the City and to portions of the County within the Urban Area, and generally strengthen the Urban Area Drinking Water System for the benefit of both the City and the County. Take a look at our project fact sheet.
Central Water Alignment
In the spring of 2021, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA), in partnership with its engineering consultant Michael Baker International (“Baker”), undertook a detailed routing study for a new central water line. This study was conducted in close coordination with the City of Charlottesville’s Utilities and Traffic Departments, as well as the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA). The purpose of the study was to assess multiple route alternatives for a major new water main intended to cross the heart of the City, with the goal of identifying the most feasible and minimally disruptive alignment.
The proposed water line is expected to span approximately five miles and will include both 24-inch and 30-inch ductile iron pipe. Strategically designed to enhance the urban water system, the new line will link three critical RWSA transmission mains: the 24-inch Observatory Water Line located on the City’s western edge near the University of Virginia, the 24-inch Urban Water Line at the intersection of Roosevelt Brown Boulevard and Main Street, and the 18-inch Pantops Water Line near East High Street and Long Street. By interconnecting these key pipelines, the project aims to significantly improve system redundancy and operational flexibility.
The routing study took into account a wide range of considerations to ensure the selected path was both technically and logistically sound. Factors such as constructability, neighborhood and traffic impacts, access and easement requirements, permitting challenges, construction costs, railroad crossing logistics, coordination with ongoing or planned City infrastructure projects, and the density of underground utilities were all carefully evaluated. After a comprehensive analysis, the team identified a preferred route that follows the progression of Stadium Road, Piedmont Avenue, Price Avenue, Lewis Street (to the railroad), Jefferson Park Avenue, Cleveland Avenue, Cherry Avenue, Elliot Avenue, 6th Street SE, Avon Street (to the railroad), East Water Street, and 10th Street NE.
To keep the public informed and engage with those potentially affected, RWSA mailed letters in the spring of 2022 to property owners located along the proposed route.
Historical Context
In October 1987, the City of Charlottesville, the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA), and the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) entered into the Southern Loop Agreement. This agreement established a two-phase plan aimed at enhancing the water transmission and storage system to improve connectivity and strengthen the urban water infrastructure. The first phase of the project included the construction of a two-million-gallon storage tank, known as the Avon Street Tank, located near Mill Creek Drive and Avon Street Extended. Additionally, a new 20-inch transmission main was built to connect the Avon Street Tank with the Observatory Water Treatment Plant (WTP), significantly improving water flow in the southern portion of the system.
Following the completion of the first phase, it became clear that while the Avon Street Tank was well connected to the Observatory WTP and the Pantops Tank was effectively linked to the South Rivanna WTP, overall system flexibility and hydraulic connectivity through the City were lacking. This limitation created operational inefficiencies. In 2017, a Request for Proposals was issued for professional engineering services to design and construct a new water main connecting the Avon Street and Pantops Tanks. This effort was intended to fulfill the second phase of the Southern Loop Water Line, commonly referred to as the “Avon to Pantops Water Line.” However, during the preliminary design phase in 2018, it was determined that the complexity of the water system required a more comprehensive approach, prompting a decision to pause the project and develop a Finished Water Master Plan.
The Finished Water Master Plan, initiated in August 2018, involved extensive data collection from RWSA, ACSA, the City, and the University of Virginia (UVa) and field testing. A calibrated hydraulic model was developed to reflect updated demand projections from the Urban Water Demand Project and Safe Yield Study, along with planned Capital Improvement Projects and ongoing upgrades to the Observatory and South Rivanna WTPs. Through a series of workshops with local utility stakeholders, the study concluded that constructing a central water line corridor through the City would best achieve the original goals of the Avon to Pantops Water Line. This solution offered enhanced hydraulic efficiency and operational flexibility for the entire urban water system.
With these findings in hand, the RWSA Board of Directors authorized a new work plan with Baker in June 2021 to advance the Central Water Line project. This included preliminary engineering, design, surveying, permitting, and community outreach. Coordination with local departments, including City Utilities, ACSA, UVa, and railroads, commenced, and survey notification letters were sent to affected property owners in November 2021. By June 2022, both the RWSA Board and the Charlottesville City Council had approved the design. In June 2025, Phase 1 of the Central Water Line project was awarded to Sagres Construction in the amount of $47,450,000. This project represents a major investment in long-term water system reliability and resiliency for the City of Charlottesville and urban area in Albemarle County.
Schedule
- Summer 2022: Complete survey and subsurface utility engineering
- Late Fall 2022 – Complete 30% Design Documents
- Winter/Spring 2022-2023 – Complete Geotechnical Work and 60% Design Documents
- Spring-Summer 2024 – Easement Acquisition and Permitting
- Fall 2024 – Complete 90% Design Documents
- Winter/Spring 2025 – Complete design and bid the project
- Fall 2025 – Award construction project to contractor
- Fall 2025 – Start Construction
- Winter 2029 – Complete construction
Additional Media
January 2022 drone video of proposed Central Line Route