Selling Hopewell sewage plant would require General Assembly bill

HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) -- Hopewell City Council is weighing options for the city's neglected water treatment plant, which reports said needs more than $20 million in capital investments to remain operational.

During a meeting held on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 7, the city council heard a report from Robert Bobb Group, which presented three options for the plant. This included hiring a new CEO, contracting out plant operations or selling the plant to a private company or entering a public-private partnership.

The report emphasized that selling the plant would transfer all "financial and operational risk to [a] private partner" and be positive for the water treatment plant.

Mechanical issues at the plant have led to several sewage spills over the last year, including one that discharged about one million gallons of untreated sewage into the James River and led to a recreational water advisory in July.

A 2023 report identified more than $21 million in "high-priority infrastructure needs," and a staffing evaluation recommended adding 17 employees to address operational gaps.

"It's no secret that the wastewater treatment sector in general struggles to maintain and attract talent," said Michael Crocker, interim director of water renewal. "We currently have vacancies at the plant as it sits right now, so those numbers are on top of existing vacancies."

Selling the plant would transfer those issues and costs away from the city. But it's not any easy process.

The Hopewell Water Renewal Commission must oversee the facility, as written in the city's charter. Selling or entering a public-private partnership or contracting operations and maintenance would require amending that statute.

ALL COVERAGE: Hopewell Wastewater Treatment Plant Issues

Anthony Bessette, the city attorney of Hopewell, said that it can only be done by passing a bill through the General Assembly.

"I don't know if there's any plans to do that," Bessette said. "That would require the intervention of the General Assembly to completely unwind this part of the charter."

"You're looking at anywhere from realistically, nine months to a year and a half for that process to unfold," Bessette said.

However, none of the options presented would be a quick fix for the plant's problems. Transferring ownership or operational responsibility would take a long transition period.

"A lot of people think when you outsource things, that everything sort of gets fixed," said Heather Ross Ness with the Robert Bobb Group. "It does, if you have the right oversight, right training, and [are] staffed appropriately. But those are very big buts."

In a statement to 8News, Mayor Johnny Partin responded to the three options for the plant:

"All options are being considered. Staff will conduct a financial analysis of how rates and O&M will loo[k]. Once council gets that information, we will be able to further discuss." Hopewell Mayor Johnny Partin