Prince William County Gets $37M Grant
The Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund awarded a grant valued at $37,125,995 to the Prince William County Service Authority of Woodbridge, Va.
This grant was awarded per an agreement between Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Service Authority to reduce effluent levels of nitrogen and phosphorus at the H. L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility, which will help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
In October 2007, the Service Authority began phase I of Virginia's largest wastewater treatment design/build upgrade of the Mooney Facility that will eventually reduce the amount of effluent nitrogen levels from 8 milligrams per liter (mg/l) to 3 mg/l and effluent phosphorus levels down to 0.18 mg/l. Reducing these nutrient levels will help abate harmful algae blooms in the Bay that affect the entire ecosystem.
"It is our mission to be good stewards of the environment and we are especially pleased to receive this grant to help us improve water quality," said Service Authority Board Chairman Durward E. Grubbs. "This not only better serves our customers in Prince William County by reducing mandated-upgrade cost burdens, but everyone along the Chesapeake Bay Watershed," he said.
The Water Quality Improvement Fund was established out of the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1997, Chapter 21.1, Title 10.1, to allocate money to reduce point-source pollution projects throughout the state of Virginia. As per agreement with the Service Authority, the contract with the DEQ states that the funding "provides for payment of the grant, design, and construction of the project, and proper long-term operation, monitoring, and maintenance of the project."
The Prince William County Service Authority provides drinking water and water reclamation services to over 76,000 accounts, serving over 210,000 residents.