Department of Utilities

General Information About Chesterfield Utilities

Chesterfield County Department of Utilities is a public utility that uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver the highest quality service to its customers. The department provides water service to approximately 98,500 customers and wastewater service to approximately 82,600 customers in the county.

It works with an annual budget of $63 million, employs 280 people, owns one water treatment plant and two wastewater-treatment plants, controls 21 water-storage tanks and 38 pump stations. Water sources for customers include the Appomattox River, James River and Swift Creek Reservoir.

The Utilities Department is diligent about making sure that water is safely and efficiently delivered to customers. Chesterfield County water consumers can be assured that the water they drink meets or exceeds federal drinking water standards and the water quality testing program is aggressive in meeting the standards plus performing additional tests that are not required by law. The department is proud to be one of the first participants in the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water, an alliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Water Works Association and other conscientious water suppliers. The purpose of the partnership is to systematically evaluate, scrutinize, and improve all aspects of water treatment to provide the safest and highest quality water to the public.

Maintaining the water quality in the James River and the Chesapeake Bay is important to the social and economic future of Chesterfield County and the State of Virginia. The Proctors Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Falling Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant play a significant role in achieving this goal by consistently meeting all environmental regulations. Both plants have received awards of excellence from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Water Environment Association. The Falling Creek and Proctors Creek Plants have received gold and silver awards, respectively, from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies which recognized the facilities' compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The Pretreatment section has won the United States Environmental Protection Agency National Pretreatment Program Excellence Award. These awards illustrate Chesterfield's commitment to protecting the environment for future generations.

In 2001, Chesterfield Utilities was among the first recipients of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ Gold Awards for Competitiveness Achievement. This award recognizes the department’s initiatives in strategic planning, problem solving, staff training, process management, performance based measurement, and rewards and recognition to achieve continuous improvement in efficiency and customer service. “The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies is proud to recognize the achievements of our Gold Award winners,” AMWA Executive Director Diane VanDe Hei said, “They are among the best-operated, most efficient water systems in the nation and are a credit to their communities.

In 2002 and again in 2007, Chesterfield County Utilities earned a AAA bond rating from the three top rating services, Standards & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service, on its utility department bonds. Chesterfield Utilities is one of only three water and wastewater utilities in the nation to have the highest ratings from all three rating services.

In 2004, Chesterfield Utilities received a certificate of recognition for Excellence in Management from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA).The Excellence in Management Recognition Program recognizes public wastewater utilities that have successfully implemented progressive management initiatives that address the wide range of management challenges facing the clean water community. Chesterfield County was selected for this honor for its significant efforts over the past several years including its triple A bond rating from the three major rating agencies – one of only two public water and wastewater utilities in the nation to have achieved this status. “Chesterfield County truly embodies the spirit of the Excellence in Management Recognition Program. It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase the achievements of our nation's public wastewater utilities,” Ken Kirk, AMSA's Executive Director.

Also in 2004, Chesterfield Utilities was awarded the Platinum Award for Sustained Competitiveness Achievement from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. This is a national award that recognizes long-term excellence and innovation in utility management.