The Larchmont Area Sanitary Sewer Improvement Program is a program by HRSD. The program is part of the recommended solution from the Larchmont Comprehensive Sanitary Sewer Master Plan that was adopted by HRSD and the City of Norfolk in early 2020 to serve the collective interests of the Larchmont Community, the City of Norfolk, and HRSD.  

This program includes the demolition of two sanitary pump stations owned by HRSD, the construction of two new sanitary pump stations to be owned by HRSD, the rehabilitation of three HRSD pump stations, and the rehabilitation and replacement of approximately 1,470 feet of associated sewer pipelines in the Larchmont neighborhood.

The program is part of HRSD commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce sanitary sewer overflows, pipe leakages, and interruptions in sewer service to customers due to aging infrastructure by 2028.  

No. Although this program includes designing new pump stations and sewer lines that can withstand major rainfall events, it is not intended to collect or eliminate stormwater. The new pump stations and sanitary sewer lines will have increased capacity which will minimize sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), but the system is not designed to be a stormwater collection and treatment system.

The program began construction in early 2025. Various phases of sewer pipeline installation and pump station construction will continue through late 2027.

You may see our personnel distributing notices and performing pre-construction assessments and our contractors preparing for program work. If access to a private property is needed, permission will be secured in advance with the property owner. 

HRSD will provide advance notice via doorhangers ahead of all work taking place. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the program.

Disruptions to traffic will be minimized, and in most cases, a single lane of traffic will be maintained. Through traffic will be detoured around active construction zones, but residents will still be able to access their homes. On-street parking will be closed in active pipeline construction zones.

The contractor will ensure that access to residences and at least one entrance to businesses will be maintained throughout construction. Trash and mail services will not be affected. If necessary, the contractor will move trash containers from within a work zone to an area accessible for pickup and will be responsible for returning them to each residence.

Work will typically take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours (7 a.m. - 5 p.m.). However, there may be times when extended hours, work at night, or weekend work may be necessary.

The work required to rehabilitate or replace sanitary sewer lines may require the lateral pipe serving your property to be removed from service and subsequently reinstated once work on the main sewer pipe has completed. This interruption of service will be temporary, and the contractor will notify you before work begins so you can plan accordingly. Sewer service typically will be restored within several hours. Your water service should not be affected by this project.

Where sewer and lateral pipes are dug up, asphalt, curb, gutters, driveway aprons, and grass will be removed and then restored upon completion of the project.

The typical construction noises such as equipment engines, back-up alarms, materials being delivered, diesel generators, air compressors, sawing, and associated activities should be anticipated.

To protect residents during construction, vibration monitoring will be utilized throughout the project. Vibration monitoring will be carried out in advance of and during construction. Alerts are provided to the contractor, and work will be stopped if these vibrations exceed federally established levels that may cause damage to residential structures.

The estimated cost for the program is approximately $56.9 million and is financed by the wastewater and wastewater treatment fees paid by HRSD customers. 

Outreach events (whether virtual or in-person) will be conducted periodically during the course of construction. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the program.

The project is necessary in order to provide reliable conveyance of sewage in the South Norfolk area. Replacing the existing pump stations with new modernized infrastructure will help to ensure wastewater capacity is adequate and will optimize HRSD’s ability to protect public health and the environment for decades to come.

No. Although this program includes designing new pump stations and sewer lines that can withstand flooding from major storm events, it is not intended to collect or eliminate storm water. The new pump stations and sanitary sewer lines will have increased capacity which will minimize sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), but the system is not designed to be a stormwater collection and treatment system.

During the design phase of this project (ongoing through Spring 2024), surveyors or contractors may be seen working in the area. All survey work during this time will be completed in public rights-of-way. If access to a private property is needed, permission will be secured in advance with the property owner. 

Disruptions to traffic will be minimized, and, in most cases, a single lane of traffic will be maintained. Some road closures will be necessary, and detours will be in place. Access to homes/businesses will be available. 

The contractor will ensure that access to residences and at least one entrance to businesses will be maintained throughout construction. Trash and mail services will not be affected. If necessary, the contractor will move trash containers from within a work zone to an area accessible for pickup and will be responsible for returning them to each residence.

To protect residential structures during construction, over 35 vibration monitoring locations will be installed for use throughout the installation of sanitary sewer lines. Vibration monitoring will be carried out in advance of and during construction. Alerts are provided to contractor if the vibrations reach a particular level and work will be stopped if these vibrations exceed federally-established levels that may cause damage to residential structures.

For the sanitary sewer pipeline work occurring on Park Avenue, construction may occur Monday through Saturday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. However, for the other phases of the project, work will typically take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.). There may be times when extended hours, work at night, or weekend work is necessary, but changes in work hours will be announced ahead of time to impacted individuals.

Your sewer service will be temporarily interrupted if work is to be performed on the sewer lateral pipe that serves your property. The contractor will notify you before your lateral is to be rehabilitated so you can plan appropriately. Sewer service typically will be restored within several hours. Your water service should not be affected by this program.

Where sewer and lateral pipes are dug up, asphalt, curb, gutters, driveway aprons, and grass will be removed and then restored upon completion of the program.

The typical construction noises such as equipment engines, back-up alarms, materials being delivered, diesel generators, air compressors, sawing, etc. should be anticipated during daylight hours (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.). If night work is to occur, affected residents will receive a notification ahead of the work. 

An off-site storage area in the program vicinity will be used for the storage of most of the equipment and supplies. Some supplies may be contained within the active work zone, in the public right-of way.

Construction workers will not be allowed to park their personal vehicles on the public streets. However, work trucks will be allowed to park within the active work zone.

The estimated cost for the program is $35.8 million and is financed by the wastewater and wastewater treatment fees paid by HRSD customers.

The project website will be updated on a monthly basis regarding any schedule changes or project updates and can be accessed at www.hrsd.com/construction-status. You may also sign up at www.hrsd.com/subscriptions to receive an email notification whenever the website has an update about the program.