Utilities director: 17 independent water systems, lead-service-line assessment and multi-year Windsor recovery plan

Mr. Forsyth, the county's utilities presenter, told supervisors Isle of Wight operates 17 independent water systems and a mix of purchased and locally produced supplies, which creates complexity for compliance sampling and maintenance. "We have 17 independent water systems here," he said, and explained that the statemandated lead-and-copper work requires excavations and a statistically driven sampling program; if even a small fraction of lines show lead, systems can become eligible for state loan programs to remediate service lines.

Forsyth walked through sewer-system pressures: the county operates 41 pump stations of varying vintages and noted safety and maintenance differences between older wet-well/dry-well stations and modern submersible pump installations. He described grease and fats as a recurring compliance risk, the need for camera inspections and valve-exercise programs to limit water loss on main-line breaks, and billing/backlog issues that leave several hundred customers behind on accounts. On Windsor's vacuum-sewer system, staff reported progress in returning legs of the system to service, an internal training push and contractor engagement with a multi-year plan that could restore full functionality within three to four years if CIP funding is approved.

Board members pressed on specific leaks and whether the county should extend sewer to areas with failing systems; staff said neighborhood extensions are expensive and identified a few high-cost candidate projects for future CIP consideration. Forsyth recommended a rate-study update so the county can better align rates with true costs and noted the value of centralizing utilities staff in a recently acquired service building to improve efficiency.