Water-and-Sewer

Water and wastewater services are provided to Stafford residents by the Department of Utilities, which serves over 31,000 customers daily from two reservoirs and 545 miles of water lines. There are two wastewater treatment facilities connected countywide by 394 miles of sewer lines. The system is self-supporting, deriving all of its revenue from its monthly utility fees, one-time payments for connection, availability fees, pro rata infrastructure charges, other miscellaneous fees and interest income.

Availability Fee’s
These fees are assessed when a permit to connect to the system is issued. They are designed to cover the customer’s proportionate share of the capital costs of the system. For residential connections, the fees are $5,600 for water connections and $3,500 for wastewater connections. For commercial and industrial customers, the fees are based on meter size and are $5,600 and $3,500 per meter equivalent for water and sewer, respectively. Current as of : October 1, 2007

Pro Rata Fees
These fees are charged to subdividers and developers to finance the infrastructure in the Water and Sewer Master Plan. The fee is calculated by determining the projected flow of the development project and multiplying that estimate by the commodity cost per gallon, for the appropriate water zone or wastewater shed. Currently, Stafford has seven water zones and nine wastewater sheds. Current as of : October 1, 2007

Average Daily Use
In-Place Public Utilities Provide Ample Service for Business Growth.

	*WATER*	SEWAGE
Average Daily Use	10.6 MGD*	8.9 MGD
Maximum Daily Capacity	18.0 MGD	10.5 MGD
Storage Capacity	16.7 MGD
Type of Treatment		Tertiary

* Millions Gallons per Day (MGD)

Future Projects
Construction to develop the new Rocky Pen Run Reservoir is underway. The project consists of construction of a new dam, a raw water intake pump station of the Rappahannock River and a new water treatment facility adjacent to the reservoir. The project is expected to cost approximately $102 million when it is completed in 2011. Upon completion, the safe yield of the Rocky Pen Run Reservoir will be 13 MGD.