Moores Creek Plant Drains Basin, Odors Possible

Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is repairing its Moores Creek facility, and residents near Woolen Mills may notice odors for about two weeks.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Utilities

Wide view of a partly drained concrete holding basin with stained curved walls, a steel walkway along the rim, and a shallow puddle at the bottom under overcast daylight. — Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is draining a basin and removing settled solids at its Moores Creek plant, with odors possible near Woolen Mills for about two weeks. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority is draining a holding pond basin and removing settled solids at its Moores Creek Advanced Resource Recovery Facility on Moores Creek Lane. The authority warned residents near Woolen Mills that odors may persist for roughly two weeks.

Why it matters

The repairs are part of an 18-month structural and concrete rehabilitation program at the facility, which treats 9.3 million gallons of Charlottesville-area wastewater daily. Exposing the settled solids may temporarily increase odors, so nearby residents are being alerted in advance.

The Moores Creek plant handles 9.3 million gallons of wastewater daily, about 60 percent of the 15.6 million gallons a day capacity across the authority's four facilities. The rehabilitation has run for 18 months, and the odor concerns are expected to last about two weeks.

The players

Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority

The regional utility authority that operates four wastewater treatment facilities serving the Charlottesville and Albemarle County area.

The details

Crews will completely drain a basin on the plant's western side and remove settled solids to complete concrete restoration. The work also includes applying specialty coatings to steel and concrete and repairing chipped or broken concrete and joints.

Over the past 18 months, the Moores Creek facility has undergone structural and concrete rehabilitation work.
In recent weeks, the work shifted to the facility's holding ponds.
Odor concerns are expected to last about two weeks.

Roadmap

The Moores Creek facility was built in 1958 and expanded in 1981, and the current 18-month rehabilitation is the latest phase in keeping that aging infrastructure operating. The work reflects the ongoing maintenance demands facing regional wastewater systems that were built decades ago.

Residents near Woolen Mills should expect possible odors over the next two weeks while crews remove settled solids. The authority's advance warning gives nearby households time to plan around the temporary disruption.

The takeaway

Routine infrastructure maintenance can temporarily affect nearby neighborhoods, and advance notice from utilities helps residents prepare. Long-term rehabilitation of aging facilities like Moores Creek keeps regional wastewater treatment running reliably.