The Department is responsible for the system within Stafford's service area. The service area consists of approximately 50,000 acres along three major transportation corridors: Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 17. There are no private water and wastewater utilities within Stafford. The Department has 140 full-time employees to provide overall planning, administration, customer service, daily inspection and operation of the system, and yearly flushing of the system.  All plant operators are fully-trained and licensed; the plants maintain an excellent safety record.

Water is primarily supplied by two reservoirs, Abel Lake and Smith Lake. Abel Lake Reservoir is located in central Stafford and is impounded by Abel Lake Dam, an earthen embankment. Smith Lake Reservoir is located in northeastern Stafford on Aquia Creek and is impounded by Smith Lake, an earthen embankment with a roller-compacted concrete emergency spillway. The combined safe yield is approximately 13.8 million gallons a day (mgd).

Water treatment is provided by the Smith Lake Water Treatment Facility and the Abel Lake Water Treatment Facility. Smith Lake provides water to the northern region of Stafford and Abel Lake, the southern. The output of both facilities meets or exceeds the standards prescribed by the Virginia Department of Health and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986. The transmission and distribution system is comprised of over 465 miles of pipe ranging in size from 2 to 24 inches in diameter. Water storage of 15.8 million gallons is provided by two ground storage tanks, two standpipes and ten elevated tanks. The system has five primary pumping stations, and six standy pumping stations.

Wastewater treatment is provided by two facilities: the Little Falls Run Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility, with current permitted capacity of 4 mgd and 6.5 mgd, respectively. These were the first treatment facilities in the Northern Virginia area utilizing biological nutrient removal. Both utilize ultraviolet light disinfection and the low-load aeration system which allows higher flow rates without adversely affecting treatment. The County has installed centrifuges to dewater the sludge which is taken to the regional landfill. The wastewater collection and transmission system consists of approximately 333 miles of gravity sewers, 82 pump stations, and 47 miles of associated sewer force mains. 

The system is self-supporting deriving all of its revenues from its monthly utility fees, one-time payments for connection, availabilities, pro rata infrastructure charges and miscellaneous other fees and interest income. The County has the power to establish and revise water and wastewater rates and adopts an annual budget and capital improvements program. Financing of capital improvements is provided by system earnings and issuance of revenue bonds. 

BILLING and COLLECTION PROCEDURES

Customers receive a monthly bill for services which is due within 25 days of the bill date. The County’s service area is divided into meter routes; each route is then assigned to one of four billing cycles. Bills are mailed on the last four Fridays of each month. The use of the four cycles allows actual meter reading instead of estimates.

A 10% penalty will be added 25 days from the billing date, at which time the bill is delinquent. If the account remains unpaid 40 days from the billing date, the service may be terminated. Weekly turnoffs are also done by cycles. There is a $30.00 reconnection fee to reestablish service. The County utilizes the Virginia Set-Off Debt Collection Program and the issuance of warrants in debt as collection means. 

FUTURE PROJECTS

The County issued $13.42 million in revenue bonds in FY1996 to finance two projects that will greatly expand Stafford’s water sources. Approximately $3.7 million of the proceeds will be used to finance the acquisition of property for the Rocky Pen Run Reservoir project. The remaining $9.5 million was used for the Smith Lake Reservoir expansion. It is expected that additional bonds will be issued to complete the Rocky Pen Run Reservoir project resulting in a final estimated cost of $54 million for the project when it is completed in 2010. Upon completion, the safe yield of the Rocky Pen Reservoir will be 20 mgd. Completion of the Smith Lake Reservoir expansion increased the safe yield of Smith Lake from 6 mgd to 7.7 mgd.