Public service authorities across Virginia and beyond take actions all the time to keep drinking water safe for residents. And the Western Virginia Water Authority now has a new tool in its arsenal when it comes to that fight.
Carvins Cove is one of the reservoirs that contributes to the drinking water supply for the Roanoke region – with more than 300,000 residents relying on the Western Virginia Water Authority’s services.
That agency currently has lots of monitoring equipment to keep track of things like chlorophyll levels that can lead to harmful algae blooms and so-called forever chemicals known as PFAS. But, Jamie Morris, the capital improvement project manager for the authority, tells me that equipment has largely been focused on where water enters its treatment facilities. To get a picture beyond that currently requires a good bit of work……