E Pluribus Unum - HRSD Brings the Many Towns of Virginia's Eastern Shore together with this Large Design-Build Sewer Collection Project

Many of the rural communities of Virginia's Eastern Shore have primarily utilized septic systems for their wastewater treatment needs. With the regions notoriously high water tables and corrosive soil conditions, these systems can leak and fail over time if not properly maintained. In order to prevent groundwater contamination and improve the regions wastewater treatment systems the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) has been working with the regions Counties and Towns since 2017 to create a regional small communities collection plan to improve wastewater collection and treatment. HRSD has begun the construction of its Eastern Shore Transmission Force Main Project, Phases I and II, which will be substantially completed in 2023. This is HRSD's very first project on the Eastern Shore and this extensive design-build construction project includes the installation of 27 miles of 4-inch through 12-inch sewer force mains and the construction of 5 new pump stations to convey flows from the Towns of Nassawadox, Accomac, Exmore, Onancock and Wachapreague to the Onancock Wastewater Treatment Plant. Due to the corrosive soils present throughout Eastern Virginia, HRSD is installing non-ferrous pipe for this entire system. The force main will be High Density polyethylene (HDPE) and the site piping at the numerous new pump stations will be Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipe. These facilities will greatly benefit the counties of Northampton and Accomack as well as the Towns of Nassawadox, Exmore, Melfa, Onley, Onancock, Accomac, and Wachapreague. The transmission force mains are primarily being placed within a repurposed Railway right-of-way (ROW) from Nassawadox to Accomac. The existing rails and wooden ties, along the railway, were removed and salvaged by Canonie Atlantic, the railway owners. The ballast from the tracks will become the base for a proposed 'Rails to Trails' bicycle trail Being implemented by VDOT, and will run from Cape Charles to near Parksley, VA. HRSD and the design build team have worked with the Railroad ROW owner to locate the force main and it's appurtenances outside of the bike path. The remainder of the project largely lies within Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) rights-of-way. The project includes 43 VDOT required trenchless crossings. These crossing includes 4 jack and bore crossings of the main regional artery (Route 13) and numerous horizontal direction drills under VDOT roadways and along VDOT Roadways to avoid any impacts to existing pavements. The project also included complex hydraulic system modeling, extensive detailed environmental and historical assessments, fast paced and supply chain agile material procurement and significant coordination between the numerous permitting agencies, multiple Counties and Towns through which the force main runs. This presentation will be of great interest to all small communities, rural counties, utility owners of any size and to any contractor or engineer interested in the design-build process and other alternative delivery projects in Virginia on in other rural communities.