Gloucester County may have the option of taking part in a regional sewer plan that could potentially save the county up to $600 million over a 20-year period.

"This could be one of the biggest decisions the board will make in this office," said Gloucester’s public utilities director Marty Schlesinger. He presented a draft report of the sewer regionalization plan at the Aug. 6 meeting of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors.

According to Schlesinger, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission contracted with engineering firm HDR to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of regionalization of the sewer collection systems that are connected to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD).

Schlesinger identified several major issues that would come with the potential regionalization, including the process for the extension of sewers. "HRSD has stated that they will extend any sewers discussed in the municipalities’ comprehensive plans," he said. "We have r...