Service authority contract, wastewater violations and a large Dahlgren leak top King George utilities briefing

King George County and the King George Service Authority on Tuesday discussed a proposed long-term maintenance contract with Emboden Environmental Services and detailed operational problems affecting multiple wastewater treatment plants, a large water loss in the Dahlgren system and uncertainties about a newly drilled well.

The Service Authority’s board and county staff moved a proposed Emboden contract from action to discussion so the public and board members could review the text; staff said the contract would be published with the next agenda. County staff and legal counsel described the draft as a flat-fee modification intended to cover all maintenance aspects, but they said several points need clarification before a vote: whether the company would insure staff, how county-owned equipment would be treated, and whether service-authority real property and grounds would remain county assets.

“That makes it a flat fee for them to cover all aspects of that,” county staff said, adding protections were placed in the draft for price caps and a minimum notice if Emboden sought to terminate service. Staff advised the board to take time to review the contract language and return questions so the matter could be returned to the board with answers.

Why it matters: the Service Authority is under multiple regulatory pressures and a consent order from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Staff said several treatment facilities have recent permit exceedances that require corrective work and documentation; the proposed contract change is intended to address maintenance shortfalls but raises questions about assets, continuity and staff coverage.

Treatment plant problems and force main issues

Staff reported recent violations and operational problems across plants that serve parts of the county. At Perkins Corner and Oakland Park treatment plants, staff attributed exceedances in CBOD5, TSS and TKN to a large grease ingress and to a surge of solids reaching the plant after a major collection-system clog was cleared. Maintenance staff reseeded the affected biological processes and called contractors to remove accumulated debris.

At one collection site, staff and engineers said an oversized force main and missing air/vacuum releases allowed solids to settle in low sections of the line over time; after the county installed some of the missing air releases, accumulated material was released downline and caused treatment impacts. The county’s maintenance chief said-line segments had been difficult to clear because the force main operates under pressure and is not amenable to standard jetter cleaning.

Staff also described problems at the Dogger Wastewater Plant and Hopyard Farms plant (blower repairs, disc-filter issues, and a supplemental carbon tank installation), and said some equipment parts have delayed shipment from overseas vendors.

Potomac Landing well yield, DEQ limits and possible permit strategy

County engineers reported that the recently drilled Potomac Landing well encountered screenable material and produced a static level that DEQ-directed pump placement would require. Staff said the well’s measured yield is roughly 60 gallons per minute, while a minimum contract yield of 95 gpm at the originally specified pump depth is not attainable without moving the pump deeper. County staff and the state water regulator discussed applying early for a modified permit (the county engineer said early application would not obligate acceptance) so the county could preserve options for pump setting and future approvals. Staff said they would review DEQ rules and take more time before proposing a path forward.

Dahlgren distribution leak and development impacts

Service Authority staff told the board they are investigating a large, ongoing leak in the Dahlgren water system and that searches so far have identified a few broken hydrants that will be replaced but have not located the main source. Staff gave a range of preliminary loss estimates during the meeting, saying monthly loss figures discussed in the room ranged from roughly 3 million to about 7 million gallons per month; staff said the uncertainty is why additional leak-detection work is continuing and why, for now, the Dahlgren system cannot accept new development connections without resolving the loss.

Easement problem for Presidential Villages; eminent domain raised

Board members and county counsel reported a separate legal hurdle on the Presidential Villages connection: an HOA that once held the community easement appears to be defunct and has no reachable trustees to convey an easement. Counsel described efforts to reconstitute the HOA but said that, after repeated attempts, the only remaining legal option may be a condemnation (eminent-domain) “quick-take” to secure the necessary easement for the line. Counsel said the condemnation process would add cost (appraisal and legal fees) and estimated timing of several months to about a year depending on court scheduling and complexity; staff said an additional public hearing would be required and that leftover escrow funds would be held by the court if no owner claims them.

Other items: Presidential Lakes property and staffing

Staff told the board the tanks at the Presidential Lakes site were removed, and asked direction to put the remaining buildings out to competitive bid for demolition and site clearance. The board gave consensus to proceed with a bid package to remove the structures and survey the site for potential sale. Staff also said the Service Authority will post for a permanent general manager and has begun interviews with a screening panel; staff emphasized the selection is central to addressing continuing DEQ compliance issues.

What the board asked for next

Board members asked staff to return with: (1) a detailed, itemized draft of the Emboden contract and explicit language on equipment ownership, facility access and personnel/insurance; (2) the DEQ rule citations and a written evaluation of options for the Potomac Landing pump setting; (3) a timeline and cost estimate for any condemnation step required to secure the Presidential Villages easement; and (4) a detailed plan for finding the Dahlgren leak, including whether to seek additional specialized leak-detection services.

Ending: staff said they will publish the Emboden draft on the next agenda and return with written answers to the questions board members raised so the board can consider a formal vote at a future meeting.