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Service Authority updates: DEQ consent order ended, billing problems, and large Dahlgren water discrepancy
Summary
King George County Service Authority staff reported DEQ has terminated one consent order, described two wastewater permit exceedances that have been corrected, outlined billing system failures affecting autopay and roughly 1,600 delinquent accounts, and flagged a 2.8 million‑gallon monthly Dahlgren water production vs. billing discrepancy.
The King George County Service Authority told the board it has met key corrective actions with the Department of Environmental Quality and has largely resolved issues that had been the subject of prior consent orders.
In an August operations update, utility presenter Mark Emboden reported two permit exceedances: a single‑instance E. coli exceedance at the Hopyard Wastewater Treatment Plant (Aug. 13) that the authority tied to construction around the plant’s UV treatment process, and elevated total suspended solids (TSS) at the Perkins Corner plant caused by a failed disc filter. Emboden said the Perkins Corner filter was repaired on Sept. 10 and staff did not expect the problem to continue.
General Manager Dan Hamilton presented a 45‑day assessment of the service authority’s operations. Hamilton said the Department of Environmental Quality sent a letter terminating a consent order tied to an August 2023 enforcement matter, which he described as positive news reflecting corrective work completed under the authority’s Corrective Action Plan.
Hamilton also outlined customer‑facing operational issues: the service authority experienced problems with a payment processor (ACI) that disrupted autopay and telephone payments, prompting complaints. He said staff plans to reinstate the previous Muni Billing system and aimed for a target transition around Nov. 1 to restore autopay and reduce account‑posting delays. Hamilton reported about 1,600 accounts designated delinquent out of approximately 4,675 accounts, a figure he said includes inactive accounts and therefore requires further cleanup.
Hamilton raised a separate and larger operational concern: in August the Dahlgren water system showed production of a little over 9,000,000 gallons while only about 6,200,000 gallons were billed, a discrepancy of roughly 2,800,000 gallons (about 80,000 gallons per day). He said this loss likely reflects bypassed commercial services or phantom meters rather than a single physical leak, and the authority plans site visits to about 120 commercial accounts in Dahlgren and, if necessary, to hire a professional leak‑survey firm.
Board members discussed the billing delays and a plan to improve public communication about payment methods; Hamilton noted the treasurer’s office and finance staff are coordinating on the billing approach and that some late fees have been waived while the county resolves the system issues. The authority’s consent agenda items and staff reports closed with an acknowledgment that additional sampling and Safe Drinking Water Act compliance work remain underway for several systems.
