Fairfax Water and Vulcan Quarry Finalizing Details on Water Supply Reservoir

Fairfax Water, Lorton's Vulcan Quarry and Fairfax County are ironing out a plan on the future of our drinking water. The quarry, which is located directly across from Fairfax Water’s Griffith Water Treatment Plant (also in Lorton), offers the County an opportunity. 

So far, the plan includes the construction of two reservoirs at the quarry site. The north reservoir would hold 1.7 billion gallons of water, and would be built by 2035. The southern pit, which would hold 17.6 billion gallons of water, would be built by 2085. The water itself would come from streamflows from the Occoquan Reservoir. 

"Our service area will have expanded to 2.3 million residences and over 1.5 million workers projected in the 2030 timeframe," said Jamie Bain Hedges, Director of the Fairfax Water planning and engineering division, to the South County Federation on Tuesday night. "By 2040, the system will be stressed and we'll need additional supply."

Fairfax Water currently provides water to 1.7 million people in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William Counties and the City of Alexandria. 

Some at the Federation meeting believe that Fairfax Water should fund a Lorton beautification project. 

"The Lorton area has dealt with a lot of stuff the last few years. It's about time that a few things come to us," said Federation member Neal McBride, adding that a number of community ballfields need renovation. 

The project will cost an estimated $3 million, and Vulcan will pay about $10 million for the relocation to the Griffith site. 

Vulcan Materials Co. has provided asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete and paving construction from its Lorton location since 1979. 

What's New/Next

• Last month, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved to consider a change to the Comprehensive Plan to declare the future use of the quarry to be the reservoir. 
• The Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will need to pass a special exception for Vulcan's access to the Griffith Plant