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Courtesy of Fairfax Water, May 5, 2006
© 2006 Fairfax Water
New Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Operation
Frederick P. Griffith, Jr., Water Treatment Plant
Serving Southern Portion of Fairfax County
At 8:54 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2006, a new state-of-the-art drinking water treatment plant was placed in service by Fairfax Water. By day’s end, the plant, which can produce up to 120 million gallons of water a day, was serving high-quality drinking water to the southern portion of FairfaxCounty.
The plant features advanced drinking water treatment, with ozone and granular activated carbonfilters. Ozone is a powerful disinfectant and oxidant that enhances the already high quality of treatment by further reducing the production of disinfection by-products (regulated substances by the Environmental Protection Agency). Six-foot-deep carbon filters provide additional removal of natural organic substances that sometimes cause taste and odors in drinking water. The final result is a very high-quality drinking water being served to our nearly 1.5 million customers in Northern Virginia. Fairfax Water’s other drinking water treatment facility, the Corbalis Water Treatment Plant located in the northern end of Fairfax County, was the first drinking water utility in Virginia to use ozone treatment in 2001.
Fairfax Water will hold a reception and dedication of the new facility later this summer. The plant, named for the second General Manager of the nearly 50-year-old organization, will replace three existing plants on the Occoquan Reservoir.
Fairfax Water is Virginia’s largest water utility, serving one out of every five Virginians who obtain their water from public utilities. Nearly 1.5 million people in the Northern Virginia communities of Fairfax, Herndon, Loudoun, Prince William and Alexandria depend on Fairfax Water for superior drinking water.
That's 1.5 million friends, neighbors and family members. We don't need any other reason to
demand the highest in water quality standards!
Fairfax Water was chartered in 1957 by the Virginia State Corporation Commission as a public, non-profit water utility. Water is distributed through nearly 3,200 miles of water mains. On average, Fairfax Water produces 145 million gallons of water per day. More than 235,000 residential retail accounts in Fairfax County comprise about 60 percent of total water sales. Approximately 40 percent of total water sales are wholesaled. Revenues in 2005 were $120 million.
Fairfax Water is governed by a ten-member Board of Directors composed of Fairfax County citizens who are appointed by the elected Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County. A General Manager, supported by a senior staff of water industry professionals, manages the day-to-day operations of Fairfax Water.
For more information, please contact Jeanne Bailey, Public Information Officer at 703-289-6291.