Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-27

at premium prices from their neighbors.
Low pressure at times reduces household
flow TO trickle. Some areas lack adequate
fire protection. Others are threatened by
pollution. Fort Belvoir, for example. is
looking for q new water supply because
Fairfax sewage effiuent is polluting Accotink
Creek-the only source 1t has now
Last month, Fairfax took the big step.
1t created water authority, which Is in
tended to develop a countrywide water
system. The intention Is that 1t win begin
to buy up the private water companies with
loans financed through revenue bonds 1t
is hoped that within few years the county
can 60 TO the Potomac for a water supply
Of its own.
The problems the Fairfax authority
faces are tremendous. Biggest Is money
the prices 1t win have to pay to buy up the
private companies. Many Fairfax residents
feel they paid at the time they bought their
houses for facilities the authority will have
to buy all over again. This feeling is based
on the fact that developers of subdivisions
frequently built new water lines-in order
TO sell their houses-and turned the lines
over to the private companies to operate.
Costs Of building the lines, presumably, were
passed along in the price OF the houses.
As IL these problems were not enough,
Fairfax officials say, they also have to con-
tend with Falls Church
Falls Church Is the little giant among
metro Washington water operators.
Several years ago 1t contracted to buy
purified Washington water from Arlington
County. II put in its own water mains for
the seven miles through Fairfax County
from Chain Bridge to Falls Church-and
from there 1t started to grow.
Today, the water system Of the one
square-mile city covers over 40 square miles
Of Fairfax County. It serves its own popu-
lation Of about 10000 people, and about
$4,000 residents Of the county. Its lines run
to Vienna and Mclean. TO Merriheld and
even to the town Of Fairfax. Last year,
Falls Church took in tidy $50O,0O0 in water
revenues which officials said provided "a
nice surplus" for other needs. For the flu
ture, the Virginia city has paid the District
$205, 900 for pipeline in the new Potomac
water intake dam at Little Falls. In a few
years, 1t intends to pull away from Arlington
County and live on its own water supply
from the Districts Dalecarlia plant.
Fairfax County officials are furious
and helpless. They contend there is some
thing immoral in the way Falls Church has
"encroached" on the most productive urban
portion of "our county" Falls Church
officials say they are merely providing water
service which Fairfax County has been I'M
able to provide. In most instances, they say,
they have been asked by county residents to
extend lines to them. They know that new
development will be stimulated along the
water mains they have put in, and they
frankly say they are "capitalizing on our
own foresight" to obtain increased water
revenues.
One member OF the Fairfax Board Of
Supervisors said his greatest fear was that
Falls Church's water extensions might be
the first step toward annexation of some
OF the county's prime tax-producing land.
The fear is one reason that some officials
believe Fairfax County should incorporate as
a city to protect itself from annexation.
Meanwhile, the little town Of Fairfax is
waging a court battle to extend Its water
lines ~ miles through Fairfax County into
Loudoun County to tap Goose Creek as a
water supply. Loudoun officials are fight
ing the move. Fairfax County officials also
are opposed, saying such a move would
duplicate "the Falls Church problem" all
over again, and also stimulate intensive de-
velopment In part of the county where
they want to hold development down.