Friday, November 23, 2012
A deal was reached to sell the water company to Fairfax Water, pending a public vote in November 2013.
For months the city has tried to sell Falls Church Water and Tuesday, a deal was reached to sell it to Fairfax Water. The deal still needs a majority of the city’s resident’s support on a November 2013 referendum. Tuesday, the city agreed to sell the water company to Fairfax Water for $40 million, $4 million less than the original minimum bid. Selling the company to Fairfax Water would see rates drop for current Falls Church Water customers. According to a graph on the Fairfax Water website, their customers pay $60.19 per 24,000 gallons over a three-month period. Falls Church Water customers, according to the same chart, are paying $86.55 for the same services. If the deal goes through, Falls Church Water’s boundary with Fairfax County …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Kirk Randall said Falls Church uses Fairfax County customers like a personal ATM machine.
The decision not to sell Falls Church Water has not settled well with at least one customer. McLean resident Kirk Randall has gotten his water from the water company since 1959. Randall said unlike utilities such as Dominion Power and Washington Gas, the Falls Church City Council can charge its county customers pretty much whatever it wants. "This means that over 120,000 Fairfax County customers will continue to pay nearly 50 percent more for their water than their neighbors," said Randall. The City of Falls Church decided to end discussions with Fairfax Water Wednesday to sell the 80-year-old utility company. Mayor Nader Baroukh said the city took a business approach to the negotiations but is happy to continue providing water. The city …
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
After months of considering a sale of the water utility, the city decides to retain the system.
Talks between Fairfax County, Fairfax Water and Falls Church Water have been discontinued. Since April when the City of Falls Church council started entertaining bids for the water system, Fairfax Water emerged as a potential suitor. The minimum bid was set at $44 million by the city. The city will now instead retain operation of the water system. “The city took a business approach to these negotiations,” Mayor Nader Baroukh said in a written statement Wednesday. “The goal was to explore the possibility of a sale agreement that would benefit city taxpayers and all of the customers of the water system. We did not reach such an agreement and we are happy to continue to provide vital public water services to the city and county as we have for…
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Water company has lifted the boil advisory.
Update Monday 3:06 p.m.: According to Falls Church Water, the Boil Water Advisory for Falls Church Water customers in Tysons Corner, Vienna, and Dunn Loring has been lifted. Customers no longer need to boil or treat tap water for drinking or cooking. Two rounds of bacteriological testing were performed as advised by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and came back negative. At no time did the Falls Church Water Utility have evidence of harmful substances in the water. The Advisory was released out of an abundance of caution. The Falls Church Water Utility customers have not been placed in any health risk over this event, due to the rapid and tireless response by the City of Falls Church Water Utility and its partners. Update Monday …
Friday, August 19, 2011
Judge ruled plaintiffs filed in the wrong court.
After months of public meetings, discussions and hearings, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge dismissed 14 consolidated refund cases against Falls Church Water on Thursday. Judge Jane Marum Roush ruled the right to seek a “tax” refund is created by statute and that the statute expressly required that the suit be filed in the city where the assessment is made. She also ruled the lawsuits were filed in the wrong court and that warranted the dismissal of the cases. According to court documents, based on the evidence, authorities and arguments of counsel, that the motions to dismiss should be granted. City Manager Wyatt Shields said the cases against the water company were filed in Fairfax County courts and should have been filed in …
Monday, August 15, 2011
Growing water system projected to spend $33M over four years in capital projects.
With more than 120,000 customers and more projected by the year 2050, the water mains operated by the City of Falls Church Water Utility company are aging. Sixty-five percent of the pipes in the 80-year-old system are made of cast iron, which means occasional breaks happen. As the pipes break, the water company replaces them with newer pipes that prevent breaks from happening. The cast iron pipes in the system have outlived their 50- to 60-year lifespan. "We have a capital improvement budget each year of $2 million," said Rodney Collins, chief engineer with the Department of Environmental Services. "The cast iron pipes are susceptible to breaks. With the ductile iron pipe, it will expand and contract and not break." Brenda Creel, director …
John Strother
9:38 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
One is Gordon Road, the other is Gordons Road. They are not the same road. Cross the border as in going into another country? Must be if you mean Falls Church is a separate country than the rest of Virginia. The county and city line isn't a border. Gordons Road in Fairfax County was declare that it wasn't ever accepted by the Fairfax County in the early 1980's. Thus, it should had been returned … more ›