Planning commission still waiting for watershed data
By Greg Pearson STAFF WRITER

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will have to wait two more months to know how much more development it can recommend without threatening the Swift Creek Reservoir as a source of drinking water.

"Is this the information we've been waiting for?" asked Matoaca Planning Commissioner Wayne Bass as the presentation began last Wednesday.

"We're still not there yet," responded Dick McElfesh, the county's director of environmental engineering.

He and Water Quality Analyst Scott Flanigan presented data through 2005, but didn't provide analysis for approved rezonings including those already given the green light but not yet built. Some commissioners are bothered that rezonings in the Upper Swift Creek Watershed continue to be approved without enough information available for the county to determine whether it could create too much phosphorous runoff and render the reservoir unusable for drinking water.

Consultant CH2MHill, which is developing the model to guide rezonings, was unable to attend the briefing because of a scheduling conflict. After five years of consultation, some county leaders are questioning the consultant's commitment.

There are more than 80 BMPs (ponds that filter out pollutants before they reach the reservoir) in northwestern Chesterfield, and Dale Planning Commissioner Jack Wilson pointed out that they only filtered out 900 pounds of phosphorous annually before they reached the reservoir in 2005. The county needs to keep the phosphorous to 25,000-26,000 pounds annually. An estimated 13,929 pounds made it into the reservoir in 2005.

Wilson questioned if enough additional BMPs could be built to really have an impact.

McElfesh indicated developers would have to do more to reduce the number of impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways and parking lots. That could also mean less curb and gutter and more natural ditches and open space. Environmental Engineering proposed educating the development community and residents and retrofitting BMPs in existing developments as part of a solution.

Flanigan stressed that runoff from land around the reservoir had a higher impact than development farther away. According to 2005 data, Woodlake produces almost twice the amount of phosphorous runoff than Brandermill does. Neither community has a BMP, but Brandermill has many homes with natural yards while Woodlake has mostly grassy yards.

Clover Hill Commissioner Russ Gulley wondered if the county's three monitoring stations are enough to accurately measure the amount of phosphorous.

"I'm afraid we're going to understate and therefore under-fix the problem," said commission Chair Dan Gecker. "[In the future], the landowners [who want rezoning] are going to come to us and say, 'What about me?'"