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

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.