State & Federal

homepage > public works and utilities > wastewater management:

Water Reuse Project

reclaimed water pipe Fairfax County created a program to reuse treated wastewater. This water can be safely used to water lawns, in commercial car washing businesses, in construction and other industrial uses. By reusing water, we save drinking water and prevent pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorous from entering our rivers and streams.

The Water Reuse Project uses clean wastewater from the Noman M. Cole Jr. Pollution Control Plant for irrigation and industrial purposes. A pipeline was installed from the Noman M. Cole Jr., Pollution Control Plant in Lorton to: Covanta Fairfax, Inc. Resource Recovery Plant, the Laurel Hill Golf Course and south county ball fields.

Learn more: Download Water Reuse Project brochure.

Benefits:

Conserves valuable drinking water. There is an increasing demand for water. Reclaimed water allows drinking water to be used for its intended purpose.
Reduces the amount of harmful nutrients, such as phosphorous and nitrogen, that would otherwise enter the Chesapeake Bay. Fairfax County exceeds state and federal clean water regulations by removing 99 percent of the nitrogen and phosphorous from its wastewater.
Reduces fertilizer that would otherwise reach the Bay. Reclaimed water contains small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous, the same nutrients in fertilizers. Therefore, this water can replace the use of fertilizers that pollute the Bay.
Generates money for the county. The county earns money from selling reclaimed water, helping to offset overall costs.

Reclaimed water is..

Wastewater that has been thoroughly treated to remove harmful organisms and substances, such as bacteria, viruses and heavy metals.
Not for drinking, but it is safe to use for other purposes, such as watering lawns.
Extensively filtered and disinfected.
Monitored and tested continuously to ensure it exceeds strict state and federal requirements.