Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-14
Fairfax Offering
To Buy Area
WaterCoIrlpany
Insists on Guarantee
OF Adequate Supply
In AnnunduIe Deal

In AnnunduIe Deal
Fairfax County hopes to buy
the privately owned Annandale
Water Co. within the next two
months provided an adequate
source of supply is guaranteed
from Falls Church or the Vir-
ginia Water Co.
This was disclosed at a meet
ing of the Columbia Pines Cit:-
zens Association last night by
Mrs. Anne wilkins. member of
the Fairfax Board of County Su-
pervisors. Columbia Pines and
several other subdivisions served
by Annandale Water Co were
without water when the supply
ran short.
Mrs. Wilkins explained that
the county has been negotiating
to buy Annandale for several
months. Before the deal is
closed, however, the county
wants a guaranteed source Of
supply from Falls Church or vir-
ginia Water Co., or both.
ut would be useless to buy
Annandale if we couldn't get
any water to supply the system"
said Mrs. Wilkins.
Ask Supply Guarantee
Annandale now gets its water
from the Virginia Water Co.,
which is also a private utility
with a reservoir on Occoquan
Creek. It is a subsidiary of the
Alexandria Water Co. The Board
Of County Supervisors at a meet
ing yesterday instructed County
Executive c. c. Massey to confer
with Virginia Water Co. officials
about continuing to supply the
Annandale system when it is
taken over by the county.
Meanwhile. the supervisors
plan to meet Tuesday with the
Falls Church City Council to see
about buying water from the
city to supply Annandale. This
arrangement could solve Ann
andale's recurring water short
ages Immediately. AS long as
Annandale remains a privately
owned utility, it cannot buy wa
ter from Falls Church-but
county ownership of Annandale
would make purchase of water
from the city possible. This Is
because Federal legislation au-
thorizes the District Engineers
to sell water only to publicly
owned water systems. Falls
Church buys its water from the
District.
Fails Church appears favor
ably inclined to sell us water, /"
reported Mrs. Wilkins. "But we
fear it might be at q high rate"
Emergency Hookup
Pending a permanent arrange
ment for an adequate water sup
ply to Annandale, the supervisors
took steps yesterday to encour-
age an emergency hookup with
the Falls Church system.
Annandale has asked Falls
Church to allow an emergency
connection. A resolution was
adopted by the supervisors yes
terday instructing County Execu-
tive Massey to take whatever
steps are necessary to encourage
approval of the emergency con-
nection. This would only help
out in a crisis, however, and
could not be used for normal
daily consumption. Mrs. Wilkins
told the Columbia Pines citizens
such an emergency standby ar
rangement could not even be
used to alleviate the ban on out
side water uses that has been
imposed on all Annandale Water
Co. customers.
Another move was taken by
the supervisors yesterday to keep
Annandale and other private
water companies from overex-
tending their lines. The super
visors served notice that they
expect all water companies to
comply with a new State law
which requires private water
companies to seek permission of
the Board of County Supervisors
to make new extensions.
Water Link Sought
This legislation originally was
drafted for small water COM
panies not covered by the State
Corporation Commission, county
officials said, but they seek to
apply it to all water firms in
hopes of curtailing extensions
when the source of supply is in
adequate.
A petition was presented to the
supervisors yesterday requesting
inclusion Of Chantilly. Herndon
and surrounding sections in the
current survey for an integrated
water system. Preliminary engi-
neering plans contemplated wa
ter lines only in the eastern Sec
ton of the county at first.
The supervisors decided to ask
engineers how much more it
= A.