November 24, 2008

Vienna, How Are Your Pipes? Comments (2)

From Parade Magazine this past Sunday:

November 23, 2008
Our Crumbling Water Pipes

Last month, aging water mains broke in cities across the country—among them Tampa, Boston, and San Antonio—spilling millions of gallons. Nearly a million miles of underground pipe carry America’s drinking water, and much of it will need to be replaced—soon. Many of the nation’s cast-iron water mains date back a century or more. Others are newer but made of different materials that wear out faster. Fixing our nation’s water infrastructure will cost $277 billion, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Not replacing it will cost even more. Nationwide, as much water is lost to underground leaks as California uses in a year; in some places, 40% of treated water vanishes underground. Water-main collapses cost far more than scheduled replacements, in both dollars and headaches. An aging pipe’s July rupture in a Washington, D.C., suburb shut down a major intersection, closed several shops, and left 200 customers without water. Utility workers are replacing 27 miles of the pipe this year, but it will take 200 years to solve the problem at that rate.

Older cities are most at risk, though few of the country’s 52,000 water systems will escape the reckoning. “There’s a big bill coming due,” says Greg Kail of the American Water Works Association. “We’re trying to sound the alarm now so that a very big concern doesn’t become a very big crisis.”

— Earl Swift

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August 01, 2008

"Oversights?!" Comments (28)

"Oversights" is a nice way of saying complete incompetence, eh, Dan? Or, worse yet, corruption. Why should the Town of Vienna use money earned in their water scam to update infrastructure? It is much more fun to use money for pretty stuff that boosts fragile egos like Town Greens, water fountains and flower planters. Why bother updating that nasty stuff underground which no one can see? We like ribbon cuttings with oversize scissors, punch and congratulatory speeches.

Cathy Hudgins, you keep on investigating this town. You know there are more things Fairfax County can discover.

Continue reading ""Oversights?!"" »

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July 24, 2008

Edythe, this was YOUR baby ... Comments (6)

Explain yourself.

Water rates debated

Vienna - Oakton
By Monty Tayloe
Source: Fairfax County Times
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 2008

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth have called for the Town of Vienna and the City of Falls Church to be investigated by the Fairfax County Consumer Protection Commission over municipal water rates. Fairfax County residents that receive Vienna water pay a rate of $112.88 – a few dollars more than Town of Vienna residents -- while Fairfax County residents receiving water from Fairfax Water are paying $47.05.

"The discrepancy in water rates leading to the apparently unequal treatment of Fairfax County's residents is of serious concern to the county," reads the supervisors' board matter on the issue. Hudgins particularly attacks Falls Church for funneling water fees into its general fund. "Those Fairfax County residents who purchase water from [Falls Church] are effectively subsidizing [Falls Church's] property tax rate," Hudgins said.

According to Vienna Town Manager John Schoberlein, Vienna also transfers funds from water customers into its general fund. Town Councilwoman Edyth Kelleher said that the council will be studying Vienna's water issue this fall.

"This isn't something you can decide overnight," Kelleher said.

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