The plant that controls water pollution manages the increased flow that occurs during storms

Roanoke, Virginia – On Friday morning, the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant was in full operation.

When the levels are high, the Archimedes screw pumps assist in releasing treated water into the Roanoke River.

And that’s only one of the actions operators take in anticipation of high water and heavy precipitation generating additional flow.

“We start formulating a game plan as soon as we hear from Brent, Leo, or Payton when those storms are on the way,” Wastewater Operations Manager Lacy Burnette said on Friday morning.

According to Burnette, on Thursday, the plant’s typical flow tripled.

“At the facility, we received 3.7 inches of rain, or nearly four inches of rain.” With a daily flow average of just over 100 million gallons, the plant operated exceptionally well. Our employees also did so. Thus, I’m rather proud of our group,” he remarked.

Although the storm dumped a lot of rain in a short amount of time, the plant can manage high flow events, according to Laura Schirmer, a public relations specialist.

The Water Authority has made systemic investments. Our infrastructure is highly resilient, which means that in an event like this, we’re ready,” the speaker stated.

The precipitation that has fallen this week will also affect the Carvins Cove Reservoir. Over the next few days, the water level there is expected to rise, according to the Western Virginia Water Authority.

The recreation area is open to tourists, and the storm did not cause any major issues there.