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By SHARON KILPATRICK
Rappahannock Ntwi Staff Writer
The flood that came when rain combined with melting snow in midJanuary caused another washout at the Sp'erryville sewer plant, Carson Johnson reported at a meeting of the - Water and Sewer Authority earlier this month.
Mr. Johnson said the day before the water was going through the plant at- the rate of 23,000 gallons per day. Bbt\veen 7 and 10 a.m. on the day of the flood the water was going through so fast operators shut the gage down for fear of harming it, he said. “They stood there watching it go through,” he said.
Mr. Johnson said he drove through town checking to see which hbuses had lights on indicating the pumps were pumping constantly and not able to keep up with the water coming in. He said there were six, most in locations the WSA has known for some time are problems. •In several of those locations old 4inch, terra cotta pipe leads into the tanks while the pipes going out are only- 1.2S inches. He said he believes these six locations are causing 90 percent of the flooding problems.- lems.Mr.
Johnson suggested gate valves from these six be shut off during the next rain to see if another washout can be prevented. He said people at the houses with the gate valves shut off “wouldn’t be a bit worse off. Water will seek its own level. It is gushing in from the ground by gravity. Once they’re full it will not run in anymore.
Chairman Eugene Leggett asked, “Are you saying if we could solve the problems of these six houses, we could solve the majority of the problem?”
Member Daniel Keyser suggested they try shutting off the six gate , valves once to see what happens.
Member Richard Smith said Mr. Johnson’s research “is valuable. These tanks need to be fixed this spring whatever we do with the gate valves.” He said he did not see any advantage in shutting off the gate valves since the problems had already been identified.
“These six are causing the whole system to malfunction,” Mr. Johnson said. He said the WSA will probably receive another notice of violation . because of the washout. , Mr. Keyser said, “I think we ■should authorize Troy (Jenkins) to jturn the valves off, not in a flood, but ' ip a more normal rain, on a day we’re
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