Approximately 100 million gallons per day of wastewater are collected and treated at five regional plants. Almost half of the system wastewater flow is treated at the Noman Cole, Jr., Pollution Control Plant in Lorton, Virginia. The rest of the flow is distributed among four regional treatment facilities operated and maintained by Arlington County, the District of Columbia, the Alexandria Sanitation Authority, and the Upper Occoquan Sewage Authority.

Ensuring System Capacity for Growth

To meet future development and growth in Fairfax County, our system capacity is continually upgraded. As part of our planning process, a hydraulic analysis of the sewer lines and pump stations is performed annually to identify sanitation sewer facilities requiring upgrades or expansion. A computer model of the county’s primary sewer network is analyzed to ensure the collection system has adequate capacity. Winter quarter water consumption is used as the existing flow for the model. The model uses either planned land use or zoning (whichever has higher density) to forecast future growth. The model also projects system capacity at 5-, 10-, and 15-year increments and analyzes the projections for potential capacity deficiencies that may occur before an area is fully developed.

In a growing suburban community such as Fairfax County, which constantly undergoes rezoning and comprehensive plan changes, Wastewater Management evaluates whether all proposed changes would affect system capacity. If a proposed change would affect system capacity, the applicant is required to proffer to make the necessary improvements before construction begins on the proposed development.

Our effective planning and analysis efforts have ensured Fairfax County of no sewer line or pump station capacity limitations for the past 30 years.

For more information, call 703-324-5030, TTY 711.