Fairfax County Water Authority
Encyclopedia
Fairfax County Water Authority (FCWA or more recently Fairfax Water for short) is the main water company in the Northern Virginia
region of the United States
, and one of the three major water providers in the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area
(the other two being the Washington Aqueduct
and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
). Fairfax Water serves most of the populated areas of Fairfax County
, and also serves neighboring communities of Alexandria, Prince William County, Virginia
and Loudoun County, Virginia
through wholesale
agreements. It serves drinking water to 1.5 million people.
FCWA does not provide sanitary sewer
service; this is left to the individual jurisdictions it serves.
, which served Alexandria, Virginia
and its immediate suburbs, had opened a treatment plant on the Occoquan River
near Occoquan, Virginia
in 1954, but even that wasn't enough, and both the county government and the city of Alexandria were looking for a solution to the problem together.
Fairfax became interested in buying the Annandale Water Company, a medium-sized utility in the heart of Fairfax that, by 1955, served about 3000 homes at the time and had severe problems with water supply. Alexandria was interested in buying Alexandria Water (a privately owned system controlled by American Water Works Company) and its Virginia Water subsidiary, citing its own water supply problems. By the end of the summer, Fairfax was ready to buy the Annandale system when they were blocked from doing so by a lawsuit from a group of subscribers, who were upset that the move may increase their water rates.
FCWA has since expanded its filtration capacity several times, with the introduction of new plants at Lorton and Occoquan
in the 1960s, and a new plant near Herndon, Virginia
in 1982. A new plant that will replace all three of the Lorton and Occoquan plants is under construction, and expected to go online in the fall of 2005.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and one of the three major water providers in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
(the other two being the Washington Aqueduct
Washington Aqueduct
The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...
and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission provides safe drinking water and wastewater treatment for Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. It was established on May 1, 1918. It is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility in the United States. The WSSC serves about 1.8 million...
). Fairfax Water serves most of the populated areas of Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, and also serves neighboring communities of Alexandria, Prince William County, Virginia
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
and Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
through wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
agreements. It serves drinking water to 1.5 million people.
FCWA does not provide sanitary sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
service; this is left to the individual jurisdictions it serves.
History
FCWA traces its history back to the 1950s. At the time, Fairfax County was a mostly rural county that was quickly becoming suburban, and was served by a number of small, privately owned water companies and private wells. This posed a problem in the first half of the decade, as hot summers and increased demand often caused the wells to run dry. The Alexandria Water CompanyAlexandria Water Company
The Alexandria Water Company is the water company of the city of Alexandria, Egypt. It was originally founded in 1860 as a private company and it operated as such for more than 100 years before it was nationalized under the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser...
, which served Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and its immediate suburbs, had opened a treatment plant on the Occoquan River
Occoquan River
The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in northern Virginia, in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The river is long, and its watershed covers about . It is formed by the confluence of Broad Run and Cedar Run in Prince William County; Bull Run enters it east-southeast of...
near Occoquan, Virginia
Occoquan, Virginia
Occoquan is a town in Prince William County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge...
in 1954, but even that wasn't enough, and both the county government and the city of Alexandria were looking for a solution to the problem together.
Fairfax became interested in buying the Annandale Water Company, a medium-sized utility in the heart of Fairfax that, by 1955, served about 3000 homes at the time and had severe problems with water supply. Alexandria was interested in buying Alexandria Water (a privately owned system controlled by American Water Works Company) and its Virginia Water subsidiary, citing its own water supply problems. By the end of the summer, Fairfax was ready to buy the Annandale system when they were blocked from doing so by a lawsuit from a group of subscribers, who were upset that the move may increase their water rates.
FCWA has since expanded its filtration capacity several times, with the introduction of new plants at Lorton and Occoquan
Occoquan, Virginia
Occoquan is a town in Prince William County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge...
in the 1960s, and a new plant near Herndon, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
in 1982. A new plant that will replace all three of the Lorton and Occoquan plants is under construction, and expected to go online in the fall of 2005.