Charlottesville, VA… May 23, 2025…The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority 
is preparing to enter the next construction phase for a new raw water pipeline from the Ragged Mountain Reservoir to the Observatory Water Treatment Plant.
On May 27, 2025, contractors will start installing a new 36” raw water pipeline. Construction will begin near the Observatory Water Treatment Plant on Hereford Drive. During this period, Hereford Drive will not be accessible between the Observatory Water Treatment Plant and the UVA Hereford Residential College residences. A detour is planned at the three-way intersection of Hereford Drive, Stadium Road, and Mimosa Drive, enabling traffic to circumvent the area by using Stadium Road, Alderman Road, and McCormick Road. The closure is expected to last through July 31, 2025.
The 36” raw water pipeline is replacing two 70+ year-old pipelines currently supplying raw water from Ragged Mountain Reservoir to the Observatory Water Treatment Plant. The project was one of several identified in the community’s Water Supply Plan approved in 2012. A detailed routing study for this project was completed in 2021, and easement acquisition was completed in 2024.
This $62 million project will feature approximately 4 miles of 36-inch underground piping and will include the construction of a water pumping station near Regents School on Reservoir Road. The project was awarded to the Thalle Construction Company in 2024.
This project is a generational endeavor that will expand the capacity, redundancy, and resiliency of our community’s drinking water network.