Elizabeth, a Department of Public Utilities presenter, told the Board that the county’s joint review with Fire and DPU operations identified 52 problematic fire hydrants last year and that, as of the work session, “all 52 hydrants have been addressed.” She said county staff will pursue a formal inspection, maintenance and repair program and expects the program to use GIS and simple tracking tools rather than a dedicated enterprise software package.

The presentation described a two‑part approach: a consultant with asset‑management experience to design the inspection and maintenance routine that DPU will implement, and a contractor to repaint hydrants countywide for aesthetic and condition reasons. Elizabeth said funds are already appropriated but preliminary analysis suggests not all originally budgeted dollars will be needed once DPU and Fire coordinate on scope and timing.

On water quality, Elizabeth said quarterly THM monitoring (trihalomethanes, a disinfectant byproduct) has historically shown higher results in warm months and that 2024 sampling produced an exceedance of the EPA maximum contaminant level in the Courthouse storage system. She said Virginia Department of Health (VDH) did not cite a regulatory violation because VDH evaluates THMs on an annual average, but staff nonetheless recommend a proactive fix. The proposed augmentation would add an air‑stripping system to a previously installed mixer at the Courthouse tank. The project was partially funded in FY26 ($105,000); recent contractor quotes were near $200,000 and staff requested an additional $145,000 in FY27 to move the work forward.

Why it matters: hydrant reliability affects fire response and public safety; THM exceedances raise water‑quality concerns even when annual compliance remains unchanged. The Board asked staff to return with proposed contract scopes and a clear operating cost pathway showing how ongoing maintenance will be incorporated into annual operating budgets rather than repeatedly relying on CIP dollars.

What’s next: staff will present the 2025 utility master plan in January; the hydrant maintenance program details and an air‑stripping project scope and budget amendment will be scheduled for future Board consideration.