Public Works and Environmental Services Alert:
Before nine county-acquired homes on Barrett Road in Falls Church are torn down to reduce flooding, firefighters are getting one last chance to use them—for live training.
Community-based organizations in Fairfax County can apply to receive free trees for planting on private properties, through a program by Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.
Climate change continues to exacerbate flooding impacts in Fairfax County and nationwide. Weather-related flooding is still the most common and costly natural disaster across the United States. Fairfax County’s ongoing efforts to mitigate flooding problems for residents can be found in the July 2025 Floodplain Management Plan (FMP) progress report.
It’s that time of year! The Fairfax County Tree Commission is announcing that nominations for its 2024-2025 Friends of Trees Awards are now open and will close on July 31.
A renewable energy solar project in the county, at its completion, will generate enough energy to power about 1,000 homes. Fairfax County will be the first locality in the Commonwealth to begin construction of a solar array on the grounds of a closed landfill.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – A grant valued at $12,353 has been awarded to the DPWES Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) to help manage the invasive tree-of-heaven on county-owned land, and hemlock wooly adelgid at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve and NOVA Park properties in the southern part of the county.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – Thanks in large part to targeted acquisitions and planned demolitions along Barrett Road, Fairfax County has achieved a major milestone in its flood mitigation efforts with the full mitigation of all FEMA-designated Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties.
National Public Works Week (NPWW) is an annual event recognized in the Public Works industry during the third week in May.
You flush. It goes away. But have you ever wondered where it goes—and how it gets there?
Endangered grassland bird species, such as the Eastern meadowlark and grasshopper sparrow, have found refuge in Fairfax County thanks to a 50-acre swath of meadowland atop the I-95 Landfill Complex in Lorton and some modified land management procedures there. Recent efforts by the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) are helping the birds survive and thrive at the…
Fairfax County, Va. – The inaugural Northern Virginia Resiliency Expo will take Fairfax County officials and additional Northern Virginia elected officials, agency directors and other regional leaders to sites in local jurisdictions to tour some flood resiliency projects.
As a part of ongoing efforts to improve the water quality in Dogue Creek, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has purchased three parcels of land at 8800 Richmond Highway. The county is funding the land acquisition with a $2.8 million Virginia Community Preparedness Fund (CFPF) grant and the Stormwater Service District Fund. This is part of a multi-decade effort to preserve…
A new multilingual public engagement website has been launched by Fairfax County to facilitate public feedback on the Smaller Lake Accotink Preservation Feasibility Study.
An emergency operation to remove a critical blockage from the county’s wastewater siphon system will begin on Monday, February 17.
Seven months after launching, Fairfax County’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) has provided funding to 23 homeowners to help safeguard their properties from flood damage.
It is a new year, and some positive changes are taking place within the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va - A textile recycling pilot program has been launched in the county. In partnership with a New Jersey-based company called Helpsy, the DPWES Solid Waste Management Program is implementing the pilot to provide residents with a convenient way to recycle unwanted textiles.
Fairfax County is considering a new waste collection system through Unified Sanitation Districts (USD). Under USD, the county would manage waste hauling contracts directly with collectors, making the process easier for residents in single-family homes. All residential waste collection would be conducted by private collectors.
National Stormwater Day is November 16, and Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is sharing how its Stormwater Management Program plays a vital role in protecting our community and the environment.
The winners of the 2024 Friends of Trees Awards have been selected by The Fairfax County Tree Commission. The recognition honors two individuals and two groups for their outstanding contributions to tree conservation and the county’s urban forest. A recognition ceremony will be held in spring 2025.
The population is anticipated to increase in Fairfax County, particularly in the northern region, which means the need is becoming greater to ensure the wastewater system can accommodate that growth. The multi-pronged Tysons Wastewater Conveyance Systems Modifications Project (Tysons West) is being proactively designed to increase the size of the sewer system to better facilitate the process of…
There will be a lot to celebrate when the county recognizes Fairfax Recycles Day on Saturday, November 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Gerry Hyland Government Center. Join the Solid Waste Management Program for a recycling drop-off and touch-a-truck event, as DPWES recognizes several major milestones.
Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew… or compost them! Are you wondering what to do with your pumpkin after the fall holidays?
An ambitious tree-planting effort is happening at Bren Mar Park in eastern Fairfax County, where major restoration efforts are underway to combat invasive plants and the destructive emerald ash borer (EAB) beetle. Over three days on Sept. 24, 25 and 26, volunteers are helping Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division plant more than 400 native saplings of green and white ash trees and…
Community feedback is being solicited by the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services on a study to determine how best to preserve a smaller Lake Accotink for a sustainable future. This survey is intended to ensure the community has input on the questions being addressed by the study and to build lines of communication with the public to share information and collect…
With the approval of the construction contract for the rehabilitation of the Accotink Wastewater Pump Station, Fairfax County is administering the first local government Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The pump station, located at 9201 Richmond Highway in the Mount Vernon District, is the largest wastewater pump station in the County and conveys sewage from more than…
