While many communities in the Commonwealth rely on groundwater or rivers, Charlottesville gets its water from rain and snow melt which, in the age of climate change, is hard to predict. That’s why the local water authority is using dynamite to clear a path for six and a half miles of pipe to connect a large but shallow reservoir with one that’s 80-feet deep and can store much more.
Spokesman Westley Kern says safety measures are in place with giant rubber mats covering the blast area.
“We don’t want to blast this stuff to space by any means.”
Crews have notified the neighbors in a mostly rural area, closed hiking trails and are warning the world with an air horn.
Seconds later, the ground shakes and rocks are broken to make way for a 36-inch pipe that will be buried8-16 feet below ground.
Kern says planning to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water began in 2002.
“We had a very significant drought in the region that made us start looking at our water supply, reserves and redundancies in the system.”
The blast is one of the more exciting moments in this project according to inspector Travis Goode.
“Big booms for boys is always fun.”
And then it’s back to business – digging and laying pipe that will begin transporting water in 2029.
