Goal of Division

The goal of the Utilities Division is to provide the best quality of uninterrupted water to and the best unrestricted flow of wastewater from the residents and commercial businesses in the City.

Contact Info & Hours of Operation

Business Hours: 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday-Friday

Mike West Utilities Superintendent	westm@colonialheightsva.gov	(804) 520-9372
Randy Carter Cross Connection Inspector	carterr@colonialheightsva.gov	(804) 524-8794
Patsy Dixon Administrative Assistant	dixonp@colonialheightsva.gov	(804) 520-9372 (daytime - maintenance)
Dianne Piotrowski Billing Office	piotrowskid@colonialheightsva.gov	(804) 520-9288
After Hours / Emergency		(804) 520-9300

Water Distribution

The City of Colonial Heights is a member of and purchases water from The Appomattox River Water Authority at an average cost of $515,000.00 per year. Although the City does not have a water treatment facility, it does have a distribution network of approximately 97 miles of water line piping, 600 fire hydrants, 6,500 water meters and 3 water storage tanks. The Utility Department follows strict federal and state guidelines for monitoring and testing water to assure that the water meets their specifications. The Utility Department spends about 40 percent of its time annually on repairing and updating the water distribution system.

Fire Hydrant Flushing

Annually, the City Utilities Department, with the Appomattox River Water Authority, flushes the water distribution system through fire hydrants. At the same time the department does flow tests on the fire hydrants to collect flow data on the system to assure that the system is meeting specifications. During this time, which is usually in the spring or fall, property owners may experience some discoloration in their water. The discoloration is from a mineral called Manganese that naturally occurs in rocks and soil. Manganese settles in the distribution piping and when fire hydrants are opened the sudden flow of water will stir it up. There is no cause for alarm when this happens. You will need to run water in your bath tub and sinks for about fifteen minutes, normally this will clear the problem. If the water does not clear up call the Utilities Department and they will send someone out to try to remedy the problem.

Water Connections

Price information for fees and permits for new construction can be obtained from the Building Inspections Office at City Hall. The phone number is (804) 520-9297. Questions concerning existing service to homes, please call the Utility Billing Department at (804) 520-9288..

Commercial and Subdivisions:

All connections onto the City water system will be made by the developers Class A contractor under the supervision of the construction inspector (804) 520-9372, using the latest V-DOT and City of Colonial Heights specifications. They must notify the Construction inspector 48 hours in advance before commencing work and the contractor must have construction plans approved by the city engineer (804) 520-9337. No construction will commence until all fees are paid and all permits obtained.

Non Commercial and Residential:

Connections on existing streets will be made by the Utilities Department. Call Utilities at (804) 520-9393 to find out what material and labor the builder must supply.

Wastewater

The City of Colonial Heights is a member of and sells all of their wastewater to The South Central Wastewater Authority located in Petersburg. All wastewater is pumped by force main to the newly constructed South Central Wastewater facility on Pocahontas Island in Petersburg. The average cost is 1.8 million dollars per year. The wastewater distribution network consists of approximately 92 miles of various sizes of piping, 600 manholes and eleven pumping stations. The Utility department spends about 50 percent of its time annually repairing and updating the wastewater distribution system.

Sewer Connections

Price information for fees and permits can be obtained from the Building Inspections Office at 201 James Ave. The phone number is (804) 520-9297.

Commercial / Residential / Subdivisions:

All connections onto the City wastewater system will be made by the developers Class A contractor under the supervision of the construction inspector (804) 520-9372, using the latest V-DOT and City of Colonial Heights specifications. The Construction inspector must be notified 48 hours in advance before commencing work and contractor must have construction plans approved by the city engineer (804) 520-9337. No construction will commence until all fees are paid and all permits obtained.

Sewer Cleanouts

Sewer cleanouts referred to in this text are a vertical standpipe configured onto a sanitary sewer lateral (lateral: sewer pipe coming from house or building to sewer main). Clean outs are used to inspect and clean out sewer laterals when they become stopped up.

If a residence or business does not have a sewer clean out at the property line which is usually in the same vicinity as the water meter then it is considered that the property owner owns the sewer lateral from the building to the main and is solely responsible for its flow and maintenance. If there is an approved clean out at the property line then the City will Claim ownership of the sewer lateral from the clean out at the property line to the sewer main and be responsible for maintenance and repairs.

Cleanout Installation

The City Utilities Department will install a clean out on single family residential dwellings at the property line for a one time fee of $200.00. If you want to purchase a clean out, you must go to the Building Inspections Office at 201 James Ave. and apply for a permit. It usually takes about 3 to 14 working days for the cleanout to be installed.

Miss Utility

"BEFORE YOU DIG" You must call Miss Utility of Virginia (800) 552-7001 or 811. IT IS THE LAW. Miss Utility is an organization set up to mark all underground utilities (IE: VA Power lines, Verizon lines, Columbia Gas lines, Comcast Cable lines, etc.). This service is free to residents and other property owners. Miss Utility is regulated by the State Corporation Commission and it has become a very vital asset to the state of Virginia to help eliminate disruption to utility service. It usually takes 3 days from the time you call them before you can dig.

Cross Connection/Backflow Prevention Program

Backflow Prevention Assembly Test Report

The City of Colonial Heights has implemented a Cross Connection/Backflow Prevention Program for all facilities in Colonial Heights. It is our obligation to insure the health, safety and welfare of our customers by making a continuous effort to provide quality services. This program exists to protect the public water system and our customers.

Federal, State and local law requires the City of Colonial Heights to protect the water supply from potential contamination or pollution. The program is used in order to prevent contamination of the supply lines from these cross connections and maintain water quality. The program identifies those activities which pose a threat to the public water supply through cross connections and outlines appropriate protective measures.

Pursuant to the City of Colonial Heights’ Ordinance #92-25 Section 23-16 Cross Connection/Backflow Prevention states that a Cross Connection Control Survey be conducted on the premises at any reasonable time to determine if a cross connection exist. If they do exist, an inspection will be performed to determine if proper backflow devices have been installed and tested, i.e. Boilers, Mixers, Photo Labs, Lawn Sprinkler Systems, etc. Please provide a contact person for your facility. The contact person should be someone who is familiar with the building plans and property so they can introduce the property to our inspector.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Cross Connection/ Backflow Prevention program, please contact the City Cross Connection Inspector between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm Monday through Friday at (804) 524-8794.