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Falls Church council unanimously approves $8.8M sewer‑capacity purchase from Fairfax County, plans $6.8M follow‑on payment tied to upstream upsizing
Summary
Council approved a sanitary‑sewer capacity purchase and sale agreement with Fairfax County: an $8.8 million 2026 purchase funded from availability fees and a later $6.8 million contribution tied to a Trips Run upsizing project that would raise the city's peak flow limit; staff cited inflow‑and‑infiltration (I&I) issues and relining progress.
Falls Church City Council voted unanimously Jan. 27 to approve a capacity‑purchase agreement with Fairfax County intended to address the city’s near‑term sewer capacity constraints and reduce long‑term operational risk.
The agreement the council adopted funds an $8.8 million purchase in 2026 that will secure an additional 1.5 million gallons per day of treatment capacity for the city (the agreement specifies a maximum total daily volume of 3.0 million gallons and a current peak flow limit of 5.38 million gallons per day). Staff said the 2026 purchase will be paid from sewer availability fees the city has on hand.
A second element of the agreement would be a roughly $6.8 million payment tied to a downstream Trips Run sewer relocation and upsizing project planned in FY28; that work would increase the city’s peak‑flow entitlement to 7.0 million gallons per day. Staff said the later purchase would likely require debt financing, with debt service paid by sewer ratepayers.
Engineering staff displayed a 10‑year rolling average flow chart showing weather‑sensitive peaks attributable largely to inflow‑and‑infiltration (I&I). Staff said relining and inspection work begun in 2004 is ongoing and has completed roughly 65% of the lining program; nonetheless, wet years and major weather events can push the system near or above prior contractual limits with Fairfax County.
Councilmembers discussed the financing split between growth‑driven capacity needs (paid through availability fees from development) and legacy I&I issues that affect peak flows; staff said both dynamics are at play and the agreement addresses capacity while staff continues I&I mitigation. The council also thanked Fairfax County staff and city teams for negotiating the agreement and noted the county’s board of supervisors will consider the item next.
Motion to adopt TR 26‑04 carried unanimously.
