Brian Steklitz, executive director of the Upper Occoquan Service Authority (UOSA), told the Manassas Park governing body that UOSA’s recent studies recommend both billing changes and capital work to better align costs and capacity among the authority’s member jurisdictions.

Steklitz said the authority serves the City of Manassas Park, City of Manassas and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties from a 54-million-gallon-per-day treatment plant and has a 10-year capital plan of roughly $625 million. The jurisdictional cost-allocation study recommends separating septage (hauled septic) costs from municipal flow charges so jurisdictions that do not use the septage receiving facility do not subsidize it.

The presentation also described a capacity-loaning concept: jurisdictions that exceed their nutrient-allocation could compensate owners with spare capacity through an automated algorithmic adjustment on bills so parties using another jurisdiction’s paid-for infrastructure contribute to capital costs.

A concurrent rerating study, Steklitz said, stress-tested the plant and found latent nutrient‑removal capacity that could be recaptured through several targeted projects. He estimated the rerating improvements to recapture nutrient removal would total in the $50–60 million range rather than a full-scale $200 million, 6‑million‑gallon-per-day expansion.

Council members asked about local impacts. Staff and Steklitz said operational charges remain flow-based (metered usage) while capital costs are distributed based on ownership share. For Manassas Park, Steklitz said capital distribution is currently about 5.6% (the presentation described Manassas Park’s proportional ownership), and the rerating would provide additional nutrient‑removal allotment without changing hydraulic ownership. Steklitz said some future capital projects tied to the rerating would be paid by all jurisdictions at proportional ownership and could result in later rate proposals to capture those costs.

Steklitz also told council that UOSA had already implemented smoothing for reserve‑maintenance charges (leveling costs across the year) after jurisdictions raised planning concerns.

Council members requested a follow-up presentation focused on the capital plan and the billing implications for residents, and asked UOSA to return to explain how capacity‑loaning would appear on municipal bills. No formal action was taken.