Town of Colonial Beach Waste Water Treatment

The Town of Colonial Beach currently operates a Wastewater Treatment Plant facility to process and treat wastewater for discharge back into the environment. The Wastewater Treatment Facility, located at 2301 McKinney Blvd, was constructed in the early 1990s and is permitted to process an average of 2,000,000 gallons of wastewater per day (2MGD). The Wastewater Treatment Facility was constructed in 1993 and rehabilitated in 2008.

Discharge permits for the facility are issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ). These permits must be renewed every five years. Discharge requirements of wastewater treatment facilities are becoming more stringent to protect the environment. Testing of the wastewater effluent is conducted by an independent third party certified laboratory.

Within the last year, the Town has invested over $320,000 worth of infrastructure updates at the Wastewater treatment plant and over $104,000 in repairs and upgrades are currently pending. Over the previous two years, staff has identified an additional $3.1 million in utility fund-supported projects. The Town has recently completed the Central Drainage Area project, a $2.4 million water and sewer project to improve our utility infrastructure and reduce Inflow and Infiltration (I&I - see note 1), which reduces the amount of water sent to the Wastewater treatment plant.  

As a result of aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance, overflows and spills have continued to occur. Town leadership is working to address these issues with assistance from VADEQ and non-profit organizations, as well as subject matter experts, to assist with plant assessments and identify any additional upgrades necessary.

The Town of Colonial Beach has two separate utility systems: a drinking water system and a wastewater system. The drinking water system is supplied by groundwater wells and is treated with chlorine to ensure disinfection. Water is tested monthly, and results are provided to the Virginia Department of Health, which oversees the regulation of drinking water. The wastewater system collects and treats wastewater from residents and businesses before releasing it back into Monroe Bay.

• The two systems do not meet and are not connected in any manner. 

• Drinking water flows into your home and/or business, and wastewater flows out. 

• The Wastewater Treatment plant is managed by a plant supervisor who holds a Class I Wastewater License, issued by the State of Virginia DPOR. 

• Due to our plant size and capacity, the Town of Colonial Beach is additionally required to have one operator with a Class II (or above) wastewater license.

The Town of Colonial Beach will work diligently to keep all residents and businesses informed of any changes as they may evolve.

COLONIAL BEACH, VA, November 17, 2023 — This morning, the Town of Colonial Beach is very proud to announce the appointment of Les Parsons as its Interim Chief of Police, as well as the appointment of Nathan Thompson as Interim Lieutenant.