Legislation approved in 2020 set up a timeline for any locality east of Charlottesville with a combined sewer system to implement a plan minimizing sewage from being discharged into the James River.
Projects in Alexandria and Lynchburg are expected to be completed within the next two years, while Richmond’s eyeing a 2035 deadline to meet the state deadline. Each locality has received millions in state and federal funding to cover costs.
This year’s proposed state budget includes $50 million for Richmond’s initiative — half of what it requested to meet the state-mandated deadline. The city previously said it’s spent $780 million, adjusted for inflation, on updating its sewer system — and is aiming for a total of $500 million in state support for the project.
Like many Virginia localities, a portion of Richmond’s infrastructure dates to the 19th century. Today, that means pipes carry both waste- and stormwater; heavy rain can overwhelm the system, spilling untreated water into the James River.
Richmond Mayor Danny Avula — a Democrat in his second year in office — said he’s encouraged by the proposed state allocation, especially given uncertainty around needs for Medicaid and SNAP funding.
“The next couple of years will really dictate our ability to meet the deadline — or is there going to need to be some negotiation with the state about extending that deadline. Or will it just really have a significant impact on rate payers,” he said. “We're still very much in a window where continued investment keeps us on track.”
While city council would have the final say on any changes, Avula said wastewater rates could increase 6% to help meet CSO funding needs. A 2024 Richmond public works report indicated it already had one of the highest wastewater rates in the state.
Richmond’s CSO plan focuses work on almost half of the 25 sewer outflows that empty into the river. Work on a storage tank and retention basin are currently in the procurement phase.
The James River provides drinking water to almost 3 million people and attracts in- and out-of-state recreators, contributing millions of dollars to the local and state economies. When completed, “the annual average untreated CSO volume will be reduced by 75%,” according to a 2024 city report.
In January, more than 100 million gallons of untreated water flowed from Richmond’s CSO into the James River.
“We care deeply about the health of the river — we want to get this done,” Avula said.
In addition to state funding, the Richmond mayor said the city can look to its U.S. Congressional delegation for support, though he acknowledged that would only “help fill some of the gap.” Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, for example, requested fiscal year 2026 funding for sewer projects in several Virginia localities.
At the state level, budget negotiators representing the House and Senate versions of the spending plan began discussing the proposals last week. Avula’s set to submit Richmond’s FY27 budget proposal on March 11 to council, which last year set aside $150 million for wastewater utility upgrades over five years, as well as $340 million for sewer pipes.