Utilities Fund

To ensure the Utilities Department provides safe, efficient, and reliable water and wastewater services to satisfy the current and future needs of County water and sewer customers. The Utilities Fund is a proprietary enterprise fund used to account for funds needed to operate, maintain and expand Stafford County’s Water and Wastewater system. The Utilities Fund is financed and managed in a manner similar to private business industry.

The Utilities Department operates, maintains, improves, and expands Stafford County’s water and wastewater system in conjunction with properly financing and managing the Utilities Fund.

Provision of Water Services:

• Smith Lake Water Treatment Facility (WTF), rated at 10 million gallons per day (MGD), provides water to the northern region of Stafford and to the Camp Barrett area of Marine Corps Base Quantico.
• Lake Mooney WTF, rated at a maximum of 12 MGD, provides water to the southern region.
• Two reservoirs, Smith Lake and Lake Mooney, supply water to Stafford County’s treatment facilities. Combined, the two reservoirs hold over 7.1 billion gallons of water. If needed, interconnecting piping in the water distribution system allows the transfer of treated water from one service area to the other.
• The Abel Lake WTF was taken offline December 2014; however, the water supply remains available for future use. The capacity is expected to be needed in the future.
• Lake Mooney WTF, rated at a maximum of 12 MGD, provides water to the southern region.
• The water distribution system consists of 711 miles of water lines ranging in size from 2 inches to 30 inches, 16 water tanks, 5,933 hydrants, 14 booster pump stations, and 11 elevated tanks.

Provision of Wastewater Services:

• Little Falls Run Wastewater Treatment Facility is currently permitted at 8 MGD.
• Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility is currently permitted at 10 MGD.
• Treatment facilities utilize biological nutrient removal, ultraviolet light disinfection, and the low-load aeration system that allows higher flow rates without adversely affecting treatment.
• The wastewater collection and transmission system consists of 541 miles of sewer lines and 93 sewer pump stations.

Utilities Department Personnel:

• Personnel provide administration, customer service, planning, engineering, inspections, operations, and maintenance of the systems.
• All water and wastewater treatment facility operators are fully trained and most are licensed. The treatment facilities and field crews maintain an excellent safety record.
• On-call Field Operations crew and on-call Mechanics handle after-hours emergencies.

Projected Demand for Service:

• 38,643 billed customer accounts in FY 2020
• Annual system growth varies between 1.5% - 2%
• Estimated customer accounts for FY 2022 is 40,000

Budget Summary

Personnel

• (1) 3R Asset Manager (FY2021 Request)
• (1) Recruitment and Training Specialist (FY2021 Request)
• (1) Property Acquisition Specialist (FY2021 Request) – Shared with Transportation Fund
• (1) Civil Engineer
• (1) GIS Analyst
• (1) Pre-Treatment Inspector
• (2) Accounting Technicians
• (1) Water Sampler
• 2.25% Pay Scale Adjustment
• 2.75% Salary Increase

Operating

• Focus on 3-R projects, especially Aquia WWTP

Capital

• FY 2022 CIP Projects total $33 million
  • $10 million for Water System Improvements
  • $22 million for Sewer Systems Improvements
  • $1 million for Other Capital Improvements
• Expansion = $20 million or 61%
• User Fees = $13 million or 39%

Transfer to General Fund

• Support of a Position in the County Attorney’s Office
• Support of position in Finance for a Safety Officer

Water & Sewer Fees

Utilities customers are billed monthly for water consumption and wastewater usage. The Department of Public Works projects 40,000 billed customer accounts by June 2022, assuming 1.5-2% growth. This increase will help the Department meet ever growing needs for infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement while continuing to effectively address customer concerns. A 3.0% water and sewer rate increase was approved for FY 2022.

Availability Fees

Customers desiring to use Stafford County’s water and/or wastewater system pay a one-time fee per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU). Currently, the availability fees are $6,900 for water and $3,500 for wastewater (per EDU). These fees are designated for capital expansion and are used as a source to pay debt service for expansion projects.

Pro-Rata Fees

Developers pay a pro-rata share of the cost of constructing Stafford County’s water and/or wastewater transmission systems. Fees are based on the estimated impact the development project will have on the appropriate water pressure or wastewater zone.

Use of Money & Property

Interest is earned on the cash and investment balances of the Utility Enterprise Fund. Interest revenue is expected to decline over the next five years as cash balances are spent down relative to large capital projects that are underway.

Other Charges & Fees

This category includes all other fees that are not included in the categories listed above.

Revenue Bonds

In September 2013, the Board of Supervisor's approved $45 million of water and sewer revenue bonds. The County issued $17 million in bonds in 2014 and $9.5 in 2016 to fund various water and wastewater system improvements. The County does not plan on issuing revenue bond in FY 2022.

Grants

• The County received CARES act funding for a temporary trailer at Field Operations to provide employee social distancing.
• Funding was providing for COVID-19 testing of effluent at the wastewater treatment plants.
• The County received a CARES grant to assist customers with delinquent accounts.

• Provide quality, uninterrupted services by effectively managing and operating water and wastewater facilities, including water production and transmission, wastewater treatment and conveyance, and residuals disposal to meet customer demands and regulatory requirements. (Service levels 1, 2, 8, and 9)
• Effective and convenient services for all water and sewer customers by providing accurate and efficient meter readings and billing invoices, while continuously managing phone call and email requests associated with Public Works - Utilities Customer Service activities. (Service levels 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7)
• Prioritize and implement a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to meet expansion needs, improve the distribution and collection systems, and comply with regulatory and other performance goals while managing within the constraints of the Utilities Enterprise Fund. (Service levels 10, 11, and 13)
• Continue the standards of quality maintenance and repair of the water and wastewater infrastructure for continued sustainability of the system infrastructure. (Service levels 10 and 11)
• Continue the unidirectional water system flush, along with further inspection and cleaning of the wastewater system through the Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) and Fats/Oils/Grease (FOG) programs. (Service levels 12 and 13)