By Diana McFarland

Managing editor

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District commissioners approved plans to run a sewer line from Surry to Smithfield along Route 10 and directly past Hardy Elementary School. 

This was good news for the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors Thursday, as the county works toward replacing the 60-year old school. Hardy is currently on an aging septic system.  

The plans could also impact development along that corridor in the future. {mprestriction ids=”1,2,3,4,5,6″}

HRSD took over ownership of the town of Surry and Surry County’s wastewater treatment plants in 2017. Originally, the authority had looked at running its sewer line under the James River to connect with its wider system, but that route was found to be too expensive.

Instead, HRSD plans to spend an estimated $34 million to run the line 24 miles from Surry along Route 10 and business route 10 (Old Stage highway) to Smithfield Packing, according to Isle of Wight Director of Utilities Don Jennings.

Smithfield Packing is already connected to a line that comes over via the Route 10 bypass. 

HRSD also owns the package wastewater plant at Lawnes Point, but it will not be connected to the system, said Lisa Bolen with HRSD.   

Jennings said HRSD plans to complete the project in the spring of 2022. 

Jennings said the Board needs to develop a timeline for the school construction and when that will begin to impact the existing septic drainfields.

“Let’s get out in front of it. Let’s work with them,” said Smithfield District Supervisor Dick Grice, adding that the county may have to pump and haul as the projects are being constructed. 

Windsor District Supervisor Joel Acree wanted to know how the sewer line would affect the Rushmere area. 

Currently, Rushmere is not in a development service district, areas that the county has created for higher density development and where public utilities are located. 

In the draft update of the comprehensive plan, Rushmere is targeted as a village center with 258 acres. 

A village center would include single-family homes, churches, post offices and convenience stores and other small businesses.

The county could also look for neighborhoods with failing septic systems and see if they can hook onto the line, said Isle of Wight County Administrator Randy Keaton. 

Lifelong residents have noted that once the sewer line came into Isle of Wight County to Smithfield in the 1990s, development soon followed. {/mprestriction}