Commenter:
Greg Prelewicz, Chief Source Water Planning and Protection, Fairfax Water
Comment on Proposed Regulation
The Fairfax County Water Authority (“Fairfax Water”) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the proposal to amend the above-referenced proposed regulation.
Fairfax Water is Virginia’s largest water utility, serving one out of every five Virginians who obtain their water from public utilities. Nearly 1.7 million people in the Northern Virginia communities of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Alexandria depend on Fairfax Water for their drinking water. We are very concerned about the potential impact of failing alternative on-site septic systems on our drinking water sources, the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac River.
The proposed regulations reference the existing Virginia Department of Health (VDH) regulations (12 VAC 5-610-592) for setback distances from drinking water sources. It is important to note that other agencies, including Fairfax Water, have established setbacks and policies to protect surface drinking water supplies from the impact of on-site septic systems and their potential failure. These water supply protection measures must also be considered when citing alternative on-site sewage systems near surface water supply reservoirs.
