RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After two river spills swept through parts of the Commonwealth — including a recent jet fuel spill release into the James River — experts are renewing concerns about aging and vulnerable water infrastructure threatening the state.
Richmonders are often cautioned to avoid swimming in the James River following bouts of rainfall due to high bacteria levels, according to Paul A. Bukaveckas, a professor of environmental sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Those high levels impact many infrastructure failures, leading to collapsing sewer lines and equipment breakdowns that can impact the Commonwealth’s waterways…