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Spotsylvania supervisors approve 1 million‑gallon Thornburg tank; county to own infrastructure under easement
Summary
After resident questions, the board approved a tri‑party easement with Kalahari for construction of a 1,000,000‑gallon Thornburg water tank; staff said the county will own the tank and infrastructure while Kalahari retains the land and may fund aesthetic maintenance.
The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 approved a tri‑party easement allowing construction of a 1,000,000‑gallon water tank to serve the Thornburg area and future development.
The item had been pulled from the consent agenda after residents sought details about capacity and ownership. Resident Mina Sumter asked, “I want to know why you need 1000000 gallons … who owns that tank?” County staff member Ben replied that the existing Thornburg tank holds 250,000 gallons and that a 1,000,000‑gallon tank was identified in the county’s water and sewer master plan based on engineering analysis of current and future demand and fire‑suppression needs. Ben said the site will be an easement on Kalahari property; Spotsylvania County will own the tank and infrastructure, while Kalahari will retain the land beneath it and may pay to paint and maintain the tank with a logo under a separate arrangement.
Why it matters: County officials said the larger tank addresses both system reliability and fire suppression for a growing service area. The county presented the plan as necessary to avoid repeated emergency disruptions if smaller tanks go out of service and to provide capacity for planned development in Thornburg.
What the board decided: Supervisor Schott made the motion to approve the agreement after staff briefed the board; the clerk announced the vote as 7 yes and “motion passes.” Board members clarified the arrangement is a land easement (no rent) rather than a lease.
Details and limitations: Staff said the 250,000‑gallon tank currently serving Thornburg is on a single feed and that the county is working to add redundancy. County staff stated the 1,000,000‑gallon sizing comes from engineer analysis; no additional documents specifying projected demand numbers were read into the record at the meeting. The agreement was described as an easement; the county will own the installed infrastructure. Questions about exact capital and lifecycle costs beyond immediate construction were directed to staff for follow‑up.
Next steps: With the agreement approved, staff will proceed with required procurement and construction steps under the easement terms. The board did not set a separate public hearing on the tank during this meeting.
