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Board approves water infrastructure agreement for Stafford Technology Campus; safeguards for potable supply added
Summary
Supervisors unanimously authorized a water and wastewater infrastructure agreement with the developer of the Stafford Technology Campus, including phased meter issuance, a requirement to restore potable capacity if reuse construction stalls, a drought stop clause and a high-use penalty.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a water and wastewater infrastructure agreement with the developer of the Stafford Technology Campus on April 1, authorizing the county administrator to sign the contract that will govern how large data-center facilities connect to local water and reuse systems.
Chris Elders, the county’s chief operating officer, told the board the agreement follows an earlier, related water agreement for a nearby site and is designed to coordinate construction of multiple improvements, including pipelines, a regional pump station and upgrades to the Acquia Wastewater Treatment Facility. "They don't get just a million gallons, from day 1. It is a gradual controlled increase," Elders said, describing phased meter issuance tied to construction milestones of the county’s reuse system.
The agreement spells out protections for Stafford’s potable supply. Buildings on the campus may begin on potable water in limited stages, but the developer must progress the county’s regional reuse system or return potable capacity to the county if the reuse work does not reach agreed milestones. The contract requires an early study of transmission options and the developer’s infrastructure contributions to ensure the county can recover potable capacity if needed.
The resolution authorizes the developer to bring successive water meters online as construction milestones are met: an initial meter at completion of defined potable-water and reuse design tasks, then additional meters as the reuse pipeline and regional pump station progress. The WIA includes a provision that lets the county suspend or discontinue service during drought or other force majeure events; it also allows a high-usage surcharge in emergency conditions — the draft calls for up to $1.00 per gallon as a penalty if local consumption threatens supply during a declared drought.
Elders and utility staff told the board the project includes roughly $32 million in contributions to the Acquia wastewater plant and that the developer will construct pipelines, a pump station near Centreport Parkway and other regional features. The county also negotiated an availability payment to help cover reuse-system operating costs and asked that the project pay demand charges for the site’s buildings at the onset so the utility has operating cash while reuse infrastructure is built.
Board members praised the protections and the phased approach. Supervisors said the agreement aims to preserve local drinking-water availability while allowing the county to capture reuse system investments without creating immediate rate-base exposure for other customers.
The vote was unanimous. County staff said work will move next into final design and construction phasing; the developer’s contributions and weekly progress reporting provisions will guide county reviews and permit decisions.
