Less than a month ago, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA) unanimously chose Virginia firm Schnabel Engineering Associates to replace Gannett Fleming as the leading designer of a proposed new dam at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. On October 5, RWSA’s Executive Director Tom Frederick presented City Council with an update of the work being done by the new firm.
According to Frederick, despite estimates to the contrary, given to the authority by Gannett Fleming, the cost of repairing and expanding the dam would be more expensive than building a new one. Gannett Fleming’s findings, are in direct contrast with this new conclusion.
“As you are aware, we had some issues with the consultant that we previously hired, which led up to a decision that it was best is was best for us to go on separate paths,” Frederick told Council. The new firm, which has already signed the RWSA contract, will focus on doing geophysical and geotechnical work “to improve the information that we have about the geology, what’s underground and we can’t see,” he said, because that specific information is the most important in deciding what is the most cost effective way to build “something that is very cost effective and very safe.”
Frederick said that Schnaber Engineering would be “reluctant” to give an estimate for possibly building on the existing dam without doing a detailed study, citing concerns about the integrity of the structure. If Council chooses, a possible new study of repairing the existing dam could be contracted to the new firm, but at an oddly wide estimated price range: from more than $50,000 to less than $500,000.
Mayor Dave Norris asked how there could be such a discrepancy between the two firms, and Frederick said that the only reason he had for that discrepancy is that the two firms, which studied the same structure, came to two very different conclusions.
Frederick said that the Gannett Fleming conducted a study in 2002 and 2003 of the Ragged Mountain Dam at a time when it wasn’t considered a possibility for meeting future water needs. Then, the firm reported that the estimated cost of repairing the dam would be $2.9 million, compared to Gannett Fleming’s last year estimate for a new dam of $72 million. Yet, Frederick told Council that the firm reported that the work would only be done after the entire reservoir was drained. Frederick himself was “troubled” at the potential scenario and at the cost estimate.
Dede Smith, member of the Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan (CSWP), questions whether Frederick’s announcement of the discrepancy between firms was responsible.
“It was clearly a move, once again, to derail City Council’s questions about alternative approaches to our future water needs,” she said. “I trust City Council recognized the lack of evidence for the comment and will simply continue to insist that no work will proceed on the new dam before they get all the cost comparisons they have requested, and from reliable information.”
