Complaints from Herndon residents about a pungent odor from the James Corbalis Water Treatment Plant have led Fairfax County officials to consider diverting the wastewater into the sewer system.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman explained at a Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday) that the issue began several weeks ago when rising algae levels in the Potomac River led to more organic matter being discharged into a state-permitted tributary of Sugarland Run, resulting in the unpleasant odor.
Though the water is safe to drink, Bierman says the organic matter may negatively impact aquatic life.
“This is not a great situation — it’s pretty awful right now — but we want to make sure that we are proactive about trying to prevent this situation in the future,” he said. “Hopefully, the algae bloom will go down soon.”
To address the issue, supervisors passed a board matter directing Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services staff to review Fairfax Water’s discharge permit for potential improvements to protect Sugarland Run’s water quality and prevent future odors.
“While algae levels in the Potomac River are returning to more normal levels, this situation may recur in the future due to changed rainfall patterns related to climate change,” the board matter reads.
DPWES has also been instructed to continue collaborating with Fairfax Water to identify long-term solutions, including possibly discharging effluent — liquid waste or sewage — into the county’s sanitary sewer system.
Located at 1295 Fred Morin Drive, the Corbalis treatment plant opened in April 1982 and can now treat 225 million gallons of water per day drawn from the Potomac River. Fairfax Water, which provides drinking water to nearly 2 million people in Northern Virginia, also has a treatment plant in Lorton.
Photo via Swanky Fella on Unsplash
