Fairfax City Keeps Its Water

Fairfax City's mayor announced last night that he and the council will keep the city's water treatment facility instead of selling it and signing up with Fairfax Water Authority. 

The announcement came as a surprise, as nothing on the agenda hinted at a discussion of the water issue that had riled residents. Lederer brought up the water issue at the end of the four-hour meeting in City Hall Tuesday night.

There was no vote or recited resolution to the announcement. According to Councilman Scott Silverthorne, who will take over as mayor in July, that's all that's needed.

"We are staying with our own system, so there's no need to do anything different," he said. 

Lederer said that staff and council members will now organize and go over plans to upgrade the city's water facilities in Loudoun County. Now the Fairfax City's water customer base will have to to meet new regulations.

“This was a complicated and earnest effort and the decision was not an easy one.  In the final analysis, maintaining an independent water source on the Goose Creek motivated the City Council to remain in the water treatment business,” Lederer said. 

Some of the more vocal residents spoke out against selling the city's water system and turning to Fairfax Water at the last two public hearings. They argued that water was too valuable to give up, that they wouldn't get the same service or say in the quality of their water with Fairfax Water.

But not everyone agreed. Fairfax County resident Kirk Randall supports the move to Fairfax Water. Randall, a Fairfax City water customer, has rallied for joining the large water authority since the start of the issue.

"I am one of the many thousands of Fairfax County customers who are obliged to purchase water from Fairfax City, but have absolutely no say over the rates we pay. Can you say 'taxation without representation?'" he said.

Randall hopes a judge will favor an in December that will lower water rates now paid by hundreds of thousands of other county residents who live in Fairfax County but receive their water from systems operated by Fairfax City, Falls Church, Vienna and Herndon.

Fairfax City sued the county board in March saying county supervisors had no power to change city rates and services. That lawsuit is still in court.

Check back for more information as it becomes available.