The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority operates multiple dams for the storage of drinking water and related purposes. In Virginia, Dam Safety is overseen by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (VA DCR). The Virginia Dam Safety Regulations ensure that all dams of regulatory size in Virginia have proper and safe design, construction, operation, and maintenance to protect public safety.
VA DCR categorizes dams according to the severity of consequences from their failure or mis-operation, which is called their hazard classification. RWSA dam facilities and their locations are listed below by hazard classification:
High Hazard Dams:
- South Rivanna Dam (South Fork Rivanna River)
- Sugar Hollow Dam (White Hall)
- Beaver Creek Dam (Crozet)
- Ragged Mountain Dam (Charlottesville)
Low Hazard Dams:
- Totier Creek Dam (Scottsville)
- Lickinghole Creek Dam (Stormwater Basin in Crozet)
- Buck Mountain Property Dam (Free Union)
Dams under Regulatory Size:
- North Fork Rivanna Low Head Dam (North Fork Rivanna River)
- Mechums River Low Head Dam (Ivy)
- Ivy MUC Pond Dam (Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center)
RWSA maintains a robust Dam Safety Program to ensure the safety of its dam facilities. The Dam Safety Program involves RWSA staff at all levels and includes the following:
Dam Maintenance and Monitoring
- Regular inspections (Monthly by Operations Staff, Annually by Engineering Staff and/or Dam Engineering Consultant) in accordance with VA DCR Dam Safety Regulations
- Monthly Mowing and other facility maintenance
- 24/7 monitoring via camera and SCADA system alarms
Public Safety, Education, and Notifications
- Warning and Informational Signs at Dam Facilities
- Buoys and Containment Booms/Barriers
- Public Outreach (Community Events and Stakeholder Outreach)
- Downstream Notification for Planned Events or Emergencies
Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPPs)
- Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPPs)
- All regulated dams operated by RWSA have an Emergency Action Plan (for High Hazard Dams) or an Emergency Preparedness Plan (for Low Hazard Dams).
- These emergency plans outline a pre-planned set of actions for various dam-related emergency scenarios and the roles of RWSA and local, regional, and state emergency services during those emergencies.
- Regular Updates (annually or as needed)
- Annual Staff Training and Internal Drills
- Regional Tabletop Exercises (every 6 years as required by VA DCR)
In the event of a dam-related emergency, emergency alerts would be sent out by the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle Emergency Communications Center (CUAECC) via the CUA911 Alerts mass notification system. CUA911 Alerts will be the best means of notifying residents (via text, call, and/or email) during an emergency event. RWSA encourages all residents to register at https://cua911.gov/alerts. The National Weather Service (NWS) also has mass notification capabilities for weather and dam-related emergencies.