Bracing for Higher Water Bills
Yanceyville water customers will see a higher bill from billing cycle disruption, not the extensive repairs being done.
The Yanceyville Town Council has not made any changes to water and sewer rates, but warns customers not to be surprised if their next water bill is a bit higher than usual.
In Tuesday's meeting, the council and management discussed that generally reads water meters every 28-29 days, but the current billing cycle might stretch out to as much as 35 days before the meters are read. The delay is due to the winter weather and the town's conversion to a new utility billing system.
Yanceyville Mayor Alvin Foster pointed out that the following month's bill would then be a little less than usual as it would reflect the shorter billing cycle.
Significant Progress, No Completion Date
Ben Sears, Project Manager with Clear Water Solutions (CWS) provided Council with a monthly operations and project report that details the work being done to rehab the town's water treatment system, which has been offline since July of 2025.
The Veolia vacuum tank needed for the Green Leaf filtration system has been delivered and crews are working on installation and ordering the solenoids necessary to finalize the installation and automation sequence.
Once Lagoon 1 has been cleaned, they will perform a comprehensive interior inspection of the clearwell, which holds treated (filtered and disinfected) water before distribution.
Sears reports that they were able to save some money ($5,000) by working with Ovivo and McGill & Associates to perform a detailed assessment of the Trac Vac system themselves instead of needing to bring someone else in. He reported that the system, which is a sludge collection mechanism used for the removal of settled solids in water treatment facilities, is "structurally functional" but required the purchase of some new parts ($3,059.55).
They will evaluate the solids dewatering infrastructure next and provide an update of what they find.
Sears reminded the Council that fixing the system would require some funding but that the "cost savings of solid handling from the correct operation of the system will be seen long term and outweigh any cost".
Sears reported that the wastewater treatment plant is running in full compliance and provided details of equipment maintenance, repairs, and winterization.
Council member Keith Tatum asked if there was a target date for completion. Sears responded that optimistically, he would like to be done by the first of March but they were not yet ready to commit to a completion date as they were more focused on getting it done right, than getting it done fast.
"We want to get it right the first time," Sears stated.
Clear Water Solutions recently assumed operations and maintenance of the town’s water and wastewater treatment plants. The town's water treatment system failed during Tropical Storm Chantal and is undergoing significant repair and rehabilitation. The town is purchasing water from the City of Danville until the system is back online.
Other Business
In other business, the Town revisited funding for firefighters and worked through several other agenda items, including the scheduling of a public hearing regarding a proposed 80-lot subdivision.
