Richmond OKs $50 million to stop waste from flowing into the James River

Richmond City Council last week approved a $50 million grant from the state to clean up the James River.

Why it matters: The James has a longstanding poop problem .

The big picture: That's because of Richmond's 19th-century combined sewer system where stormwater and sewage flow through the same pipes.

• When it heavily rains, the treatment plant is overwhelmed and the excess gets dumped into the James.

Yes, but: City officials have said waste, which contains bacteria and can potentially include condoms , accounts for up to 10% of the fluid.

• And the $50 million grant — half of what the city initially asked for — brings the total poured into upgrading Richmond's sewer systems to $300 million.

Per city documents, the grant will help fund a seven-part project that includes:

• Installing six new pumps to the Main Pump Station.
• Designing and constructing a new screening and grit removal facility, which removes solids and debris, with a capacity of 140 million gallons per day.
• In Chimborazo: Designing and constructing a new chamber to divert excess combined sewer overflow.

What's next: $350 million more is needed to meet the state's order, which the city is bound to by law , to stop its sewer overflow by 2035, said Billy Vaughan, the finance director for the Department of Public Works, to council members last week.

• Without more state and local financial help, ratepayers could absorb the cost, which the Virginia Mercury previously reported could triple bills from about $64 to $185 per month.