Bealeton again has clean, safe drinking water.
The Fauquier County Water & Sanitation Authority has lifted Bealeton’s “boil water notice.”
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Photo/Lawrence Emerson
WSA's 1,304 water customers had been under the "boil water notice" since Oct. 27, when daily tests suddenly detected high levels of coliform bacteria in the supply.
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“The notification (from the state health department) landed on my desk at 5:01 yesterday,” WSA “Butch” Farley said Friday morning.
WSA issued a “boil water notice” for Bealeton customers Oct. 27, when officials discovered high levels of coliform bacteria in the system, coming from a well on the Mintbrook property.
The authority has 1,304 water customers in Bealeton.
The source of contamination remained a mystery. But, officials believe the Aug. 23 earthquake changed subsurface conditions, leading to the problem.
Tests indicated “the influence of surface water” in the deep well.
Six weeks of work failed to fix the well.
So, in mid-December, WSA started plans to use another, inactive Mintbrook well, which required state health department approval and weeks of testing, along with construction of a new water line.
Meanwhile, schools, restaurants and many residents purchased bottled water.
Tempers flared as the situation continued for 12 weeks.
Mr. Farley and state health department representative Hugh Eggborn fielded angry comments and questions during the Feb. 8 “Heartland Town Hall Meeting” near Remington.
The authority also plans to build a $1.2 million water treatment plant for Bealeton. It will prevent recurrence of the problem, Mr. Farley said.
That project will take 12 to 18 months, including design, construction and testing, he said Friday morning.
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