SPower, which is building a solar power facility in Spotsylvania, recently gave the county $3.5 million.
Spotsylvania County is starting a water system improvement project ahead of schedule because of a $3.5-million donation.
The Board of Supervisors approved a budget adjustment to account for the additional funds at Tuesday’s meeting.
The donation came from sPower, the Utah-based company building a massive solar facility in western Spotsylvania. The company offered to pay for a portion of the water system upgrade while it was seeking rezoning approval for the solar project, which is under construction.
The water system upgrade covers what the county describes as the 531 Water Pressure Zone. The solar facility and several neighborhoods—including Fawn Lake, Winewood and Spring Creek—are in the zone, according to county spokeswoman Michelle McGinnis.
Before the solar project came into the picture, the county planned to replace the 50-year-old, 12-inch water main and a booster station that carries water in the zone. The project had an estimated cost of $7 million and was in the county’s five- to 10-year capital improvement plan.
The project’s aim is to replace aging infrastructure “to ensure that growth in the zone can be supplied with adequate fire flow and water pressure,” McGinnis said.
The project will include replacement of more than three miles of the water main with a 16-inch line and reconstruction of the booster station. The plan also calls for adding a water storage tank and booster station.
McGinnis said the work will focus on the water main and booster station rebuild. Work on the water main will start in October while the booster station work remains in the design phase. The water tank and other booster station will be constructed later, in accordance with development in the zone.
McGinnis said sPower’s donation not only helped speed up the project, but also saved the county “an estimated $1.5 million in interest associated with borrowing the equivalent value.”
The company is in the process of building a 500-megawatt solar facility powered by 1.8 million solar panels on portions of a more than 6,300-acre parcel. The panels will supply electricity that’s already been contracted for use by Apple, Microsoft and the University of Richmond.
Scott Shenk: 540/374-5436
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September 26, 2020 at 09:00PM
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SPower donation advances water project in Spotsylvania - Fredericksburg.com
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