Water Resources

Responsibilities

The Water Resources Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities associated with providing water and wastewater service to all of the City of Martinsville water and some adjacent areas in Henry County. Facilities include treatment plants, a reservoir, finished water storage tanks, a water distribution system, and a wastewater collection system. The Department also issues required annual reports on water quality.

Beaver Creek Reservoir

The Beaver Creek Reservoir (PDF), with a 1.3 billion gallon capacity, is the primary water supply source for the City of Martinsville. The facility is located approximately two miles north of the City near Patrick Henry Community College. The 175-acre lake also provides a recreational area for activities such as picnicking, fishing, and boating. A Lake Warden (who can be contacted at 276-252-7766) maintains security and regulates recreational functions.

The reservoir is open to the public seven days a week, from 7 am until 6 pm.

Supplemental water sources, as needed, are provided by pump stations located on Leatherwood Creek near Laurel Park High School and on Little Beaver Creek, just north of the corporate limits.

Water Treatment Plant

Raw water is settled, filtered & disinfected at the City's 7.5 million gallons per day (MGD) Water Treatment Plant located on Clearview Drive within the City. One supervisor, five operators, and a mechanic, plus a laboratory technician, maintain continuous plant operations.

Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Wastewater Treatment Plant is an 8.0 MGD extended aeration-activated sludge facility located on the Smith River, just south of the City. One supervisor, eight operators, a lab technician, an industrial coordinator, and one solids handling supervisor staff this facility, with maintenance provided by a supervisor, three mechanics, and an instrumentation technician who also assists at the water treatment plant, pump stations, and tank sites as needed.

Line Maintenance & Construction

A total of thirteen employees consisting of a right-of-way crew, a line maintenance crew, and an inflow reduction crew work out of the City's garage complex under a general supervisor. They perform planned and emergency maintenance on raw water mains that convey water to the treatment plant, approximately 120 miles of finished water distribution mains, and approximately 7,500 metered service connections, plus 140 miles of sewer collector and interceptor lines.

Construction work involves mainly service connections and minor extension projects. A rotating on-call crew is available (call 276-403-5138) nights, weekends, and holiday to promptly respond to emergencies.