Vice mayor urges follow-up after VDH issues PFOS fish advisory for Occoquan Reservoir

The council discussed a new Virginia Department of Health advisory recommending against consuming fish from the Occoquan Reservoir because of PFOS — a class of persistent chemicals that bioaccumulate in predator fish.

Vice Mayor Jenn Loges said her concerns included risk management and public perception of the river and suggested that future fishing events be catch-and-release. She asked staff to investigate what testing had been done, where samples were taken and how testing was performed, including the potential use of FOIA requests to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health.

Town Manager Adam Linn said current advisories “essentially place consumption at an individual’s own risk” and noted at least one prior invasive-species event had been catch-and-kill. Councilmember Eliot Perkins supported additional testing and said that if PFOS were present in the reservoir it could affect portions of the Occoquan River adjacent to the Town; he urged accurate public information to maintain confidence in drinking-water and recreational safety. Town Attorney Martin Crim said he would research whether the Town had any legal obligation to post advisory signage.

What happens next: Staff will research testing details, potential FOIA requests and whether the Town must post notices; the council emphasized the need to handle public messaging carefully.