By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG — The Metro Utilities Department Board met Monday night with one eye on current projects and the other on future growth, discussing new pump stations, the long-planned Womack Ridge water expansion, and ongoing water meter replacements.

Womack Ridge Water Line Extension

Board members and engineers spent much of the meeting focused on how to build infrastructure now that can easily scale later to deliver water to residents in the County Line community. The two proposed five-horsepower pump stations – one along County Line Road and another on Highway 82 – can handle up to 25 homes at 50 gallons per minute each, while still being “plug-and-play” for upgrades.

“That gives you room to grow without oversizing it for what you have right now,” the engineer, Bryant Griffin, explained. “If development takes off, you’d only need to change out the pumps, not rebuild everything.”

Board members agreed that even if current demand doesn’t justify the full capacity, they want to avoid being “landlocked” in the future.

“We don’t have a crystal ball,” Board Chair Barry Polsluszny said. “But if we only build for what’s there today, we’ll pay more later to catch up.”

The project inched closer to reality, though no formal motion was made. The plan includes approximately 6,300 feet of 4-inch pipe on Womack Ridge, plus 2,300 feet of 6-inch line on County Line Road and 2,400 feet on Highway 82

Engineers estimated each pump station will cost around $100,000, with an additional $50,000 for pads, electrical connections, and contractor work. Because the combined total exceeds $25,000, the project will need to be formally bid out.

“We’re one step closer,” the Posluszny said. “Until we get all the material costs in, we can’t vote on it – but we’re getting there.”

Before construction can begin, the board still needs a few key pieces in place: finalized right-of-way agreements, material bids, and updated cost estimates. Legal counsel will also need to prepare new right-of-way documents to replace informal, word-of-mouth agreements.

Water Meter Replacements Continues

The board also received an update on the ongoing meter replacement program, which has already swapped out about 2,000 of the residential meters, with roughly 700 remaining. Crews are coordinating with Jack Daniel’s to replace large commercial meters on weekends to avoid interruptions. Officials expect all meters to be updated by mid-December if weather allows.•

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