Reward the donors.

So…who will pay for this?  My guess, the tax payers of Leesburg or of Loudoun County as a whole.  If it needs to be done then build the damn thing, but do not let it fall on the burden of the tax payers of either Leesburg or Loudoun.  Either make the developer pay for it, the homeowners, or both.  There is no reason why other, less well off people need to pay for water for those who make far above what we make.  I believe this is an aspect that is being ignored….who will pay for it?  My guess is that the tax payers will, the those who benefit are the wealthy.

ugg boots Eloy cheap uggs

Blaming the water issues on sprinklers at Lenah does not do the explanation justice.  Even with the sprinkler systems in place, Lenah Run has NEVER reached full capacity of water usage that the system was designed for.  The problems are more directly related to mechanical failure by water pumps that are prone to failure.  Loudoun Water keeps blaming the sprinkler usage as the problem even after residents voluntarily reduced their usage by changing the times and frequencies they water lawns so as to not directly conflict with peak times in the morning when people are showering for work and school.  The usage has never gone above the maximum requirements of the system.  NEVER.  The pumps failed because of mechanical failure due to poor or cheap design.  LW said the developer put in the cheapest pumps that the specifications required which were pretty low to begin with.  A simple upgrade to the quality of the pumps combined with a routine maintenance schedule would eliminate the problem.  Loudoun Water would rather point fingers than deal with the real problem as demonstrated by continuing to blame the problem on those that have sprinklers.  This is why the problems continue and have gotten worse.  When the director left at LW, the staff had to start over again.  Then RF filed the lawsuit and for the first time they begun to listen to the residents at Lenah because they feared additional law suits from other communities.  Lenah continued to experience pressure issues throughout the community.  Some households could not even flush their toilets.  Like a third of the neighborhood. These systems are not without their problems, that’s for sure.  If LW addressed the real problems, they would save money and time.  They are not very consumer oriented.

Yes, I’m aware of Dulles South soil and water issues—utilities were only allowed there because the soil does not perc.  Lenah Run had some interesting issues since it opened, which coincided with a major period of drought—every time the sprinklers came on, there wasn’t sufficient water for in-home use, was there?

The unincorporated rural hamlet of Lenah was here a long time before the subdivision of Lenah Run, too.

Raspberry Falls has at least been directly advocating for addressing water and sanitation issues in their community, or perhaps I missed a handful of them years ago protesting the triangle schools unless they were given utilities?  And sidewalks?  And…

I recall the Lenah schools issue very well, and was somewhat amazed at the suggestion of a very few (who manipulated others with more generalized protest) that they could be appeased with the schools providing utilities and infrastructure not present in the normal impact mitigation process for a public facility.

Two men just spotted on one of the snow capped dung heaps in Raspberry Falls. One blowing a long horn, the other shouting “E. E. E. E. E. Coli!”

Excellent.  Now is the time to set up “Burns Healthy Water” up there in Raspberry Falls.  The tanker of Fiji Water should be arriving in a fortnight.

What do I get for all the money?  A subway?

“Mommy, why do the other kids at the academy point and laugh when I make a ‘w’ sound?”

“They’re just jealous because we live in Raspberry Falls, dear.”

Was Lenah first or RF the first?

Loudoun County, Virginia, historically a farming community located 30 miles west of Washington, DC, began experiencing major residential growth during the 1980’s and became the third fastest growing jurisdiction in the country in the 1990’s. In hopes to manage growth and maintain the quality of life in rural areas, the County Board of Supervisors created as an alternative to the 3 and 10 acre lot rural subdivisions the Rural Village and Rural Hamlet design concepts, where several small residential and possibly civic and commercial lots (villages only) are clustered together. The County’s General Plan identifies communal water and wastewater systems as the preferred method of providing water and wastewater for residents of rural villages.

As required by the County, the Loudoun County Sanitation Authority must own operate and maintain any communal water system serving 15 or more connections and any communal wastewater system serving over 2 connections. LCSA has adopted a Statement of Policy where these systems are constructed at no cost to the Authority, they are designed and constructed to standards approved by the Authority, and are financially self-sustaining.

Lenah Run is the first hamlet to be constructed with communal water and wastewater systems. It is located on approximately 460 acres and has 251 single family homes planned for construction in six hamlets with five additional homes on conservancy lots. Water is provided to residents from two wells pumping a combined 175 gpm, with only sodium hypochlorite added prior to entering the distribution system. A 72,000 gallon atmospheric storage tank floats on the system to help supply water during peak use periods. Wastewater is collected through a gravity sewer that discharges into the wastewater treatment plant influent pump station. Because the Dulles Area Watershed Policy restricts effluent discharges to surface waters, the wastewater is treated in an extended aeration plant with a denitrification filter and then transferred via force main to a low pressure distribution system for discharge below ground surface.
Publication date: 2001-01-01

Issues brought up a long time ago

Integrated Systems will allow LCSA to implement the land use plan for the Transition Policy Area in a reliable and environmentally effective manner to better protect the health and welfare of the communal system customer.  Without this service area plan, individual communal systems will become numerous.  Numerous individual communal systems will be poorly aligned with available soil and ground water resources, create significantly different levels of water customer service, present a greater risk to the water environment, and potential long term financial consequences of replacing marginal or failing systems.  Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the evolution of individual communal systems in the Upper Broad Run and Upper Foley sub-areas.

Oct 7, 2002 BOS meeting

“reliability and environmental effectiveness of these systems”

LCSA is reviewing the individual communal systems listed in Table 1 and has gained recent and relevant experience with the existing communal water and sewer system at Lenah Run.  As LCSA works to implement the water and wastewater policies of the Revised General Plan, it has uncovered issues and concerns related to development and use of individual communal systems within the Transition Policy Area.  LCSA is particularly concerned that implementation of the land use policies ensure that there is compatibility of the soils and groundwater resources to meet the needs of the communal systems.  Accordingly, LCSA met with the County Land Use Committee on June 10, 2002 to request the establishment of a joint Ad-Hoc Committee on Communal Systems for the purpose of exploring and analyzing options for enhancing the reliability and environmental effectiveness of these systems.

I was thinking of moving my business to this Raspberry Falls place.  Don’t need no water for it.

I lost my shoe in Raspberry Falls.  Do you think it washed down the well?

The Mexican Consulate has issued a warning to any of their citizens who might be laboring or serving in Raspberry Falls: “Do NOT drink the water.”

Can we get a discount on the new water line since we already gave at the office?

$2,500 to delgaudio
$2,000 to Higgins
$1,000 to York
$2,000 to Clarke

Occupy Raspberry Falls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting discussion re Lenah hookups for 10K per home, and 2008.

Umm, would that be about the time that a small group in Lenah Run, plus a handful of transition zone folks, kicked up a ruckus that delayed Lunsford MS for a third year, and Champe HS as well, with some of the most vocal indicating that they MIGHT be willing to stop protesting IF the schools proposed for Lenah (which met transition policy area planning—it is TRANSITIONAL, not exclusively rural, as some would very much like to think) IF the school application also hooked the community up to utilities, AND built sidewalks throughout the community?

Planning staff said repeatedly that there was no nexus to discuss that as part of a school application.

Didn’t stop a few from continuing to make the demand though (which would have spread the cost of Lenah Run upgrades over the entire county, disguised a spart of building a school)—and how did the recent campaign go for Tom Bellanca, one of the most vocal of the protesters?

Interesting side argument here, with all the newly public Lenah info.  In the transition zone, also under argument here.

Edifying.

With that amount of square footage == GROUP HOMES!!!

So what are homes in RF going for these days?  $150k for 4000 sq. ft. and a 3 car garage?  I mean it doesn’t come with clean water or fire protection, so there have to be some nice deals.  Maybe we can buy some and convert them to affordable housing units at those prices?

@Don’t want Lenah Money aka Raspberry Falls resident, you sound like the world owes you something on so many levels.  “I gave to the shelter so I’m better then you”, I didn’t give because people actually need it, I gave to pad my own ego to say that after ripping off so many people in my business, stealing money from taxpayers, padding the pockets of a bunch of corrupt stupidvisors, I still had enough to donate a turkey to the shelter.  WOW!  How much more selfish and self centered could one get.  “I told you!”

@Don’t want Lenah money - you are clearly a Toolbag who cannot see the difference between 43.7% and 45.7%. Look I don’t need your extra 2% so just keep it! If you understood ERAS then good for you. Now can I get back to my meth lab please without having to reply to your whimsical fancies? Sheesh I have Sudafed pills to saute already…

45.7%  you really should change your blog name to “bottom 10%”.  Really, you cannot grasp what ERAS was trying to say without seeing the word have in a sentence?  My guess is ERAS has a JOB unlike you.  This is a blog sheesh.  Good thing we have a new Board of Supervisors in town with enough intelligence to unravel the debacle of ##% the PEC and “staff” put this county through.  Hopefully the new Loudoun County BOS will listen to their “Out of Towner” constituents and move LC forward in a positive direction that we can all be proud of.  In the meantime go stand in line at the local food pantry for your Thanksgiving dinner.  Btw your welcome, the generous members of RF give to that too.

Happy Holidays!

@ERAS has been drinking again…or never stopped.

Spectacular dancing waters, similar to the Bellagio Fountains but using raw sewage, should be erected at the entrance of Raspberry Falls. Both of them are grand delusions.

@ERAS - the second sentence of your comment makes absolutely no sense. Where is the verb in that sentence? What are you trying to say, MushMouth?

Lenah expert

Don’t insult the nice residents in Lenah or for for that matter any other resident in Loudoun County. You are obviously in a great deal of pain to think that Raspberry Falls and others in need of “help” may now a supervisor that cares ao maority of residents. Look at Sally Kurtz’s record- when was SHE was notified of the contamination issues in RF (long before rate change structure) and what has she done to help the folks in RF and other community water users in her DISTRICT? More staff time was spent on discussing the quality of streams and what “sign or signs could be displayed” much like an HOA board NOT what you would expect from the BOS.  REAL issues exist and Yes, we agree, I also like open space and beauty of Western Loudoun however I would never wish residents take on a higher risk “as identified by the LOD. Sally really could have made a difference and started the process years and years ago instead used RF as poster community to adopt regulation that had NO impact on the community. As for your continued use of rates and LENAH RUN—-give it up!

Tacos with black bean salsa is the best, but only when cooked up using premium well water from Raspberry Falls. I often drive out to RF in the middle of the night just so I can get a little of that sweet well water from my dealer. Oh man - you’ve NEVER tasted good tacos until you’ve had ‘em cooked in RF well water. Yummo!!

@Loudoun Republican Hack, You only get the special deal with Open Band if you’ve given thousands of dollars to the new Board of Moneymisers.  Have cash, will get action.

I hear the deal is going to be they get a water line if they agree to sign on with OpenBand at the same time!

I quit loudoun water community well director position because I couldn’t win with the babies at Raspberry Falls.  They went as far as buying supervisors to get what they want.  See other comments below.

Don’t want lenah water - stop telling lies.  Search ltm and just this year a new well was installed in Raspberry Falls on the backs of Lenahs jacked up rate.

For the record, Aldie’s water system has no connection to Loudoun Water.  It is privately owned and operated by the villagers.

Ignorance is bliss:  Those who bought (and continue to buy) into RF are among the most highly educated and most highly compensated in the US.  For most of these folks it’s not their first home purchase.  Therefore, it’s sad to read many RFers claim ignorance in not looking into the most fundamental concerns of educated home buyers: land use pre-dating community buildout, source of drinking water and associated water safety tests, source of water for fire response, assigned fire response organization and typical response capabilities for the area, etc.

Free market, baby!  Sometimes you do OK, sometimes you lose it all.  What good is a big ole house with no decent water?  Who cares about those damn environmental laws anyway, if developers want to poison water who cares, it’s the American way!  Sorry suckers, you lost out in this gamble, don’t expect the free market Republicans who hate government to bail you out!

Van Metre + BOS = Corruption!

You don’t need to dig deep to know that this was a good ole boy back ally deal, typical Loudoun County Scheme to defraud the citizens.  People Unite and rise up! Stop the trying to blame the good tax paying citizens of RF and point the finger at the BOS, their poor planning now =big $$$$$$$, So Pay Up Sucka

“Drill Baby Drill”

Sarah Palin

Thank you for trying to provide me with new facts, we already have LW charter/policy/financial information regarding the policy change on CD (maybe you should get a copy).

“Loudoun Water changed their policy for community systems in 2008 to bill customers across all Community Systems and rolled all capital costs into the new rates across all systems.” 

The resolution to change their policy was approved in 2008; meaning the decision was clearly made PRIOR to 2008.  Raspberry Falls had no upgrades and the residence of RF had no knowledge of pending water issues.  Maybe the resolution was passed because there sooo many poor financial decisions regarding Community Systems, LW knew community systems would ultimately go bankrupt prior to 2008.  Loudoun Water clearly understood that each system could not be financially self-sustaining especially in light of the fact that almost all community systems were under engineered and needed upgrading.  Tell me Loudoun Water Employee, what upgrades did the RF system receive and when? What was the cost?  Where did the $1,000,000 for upgrades to the RF from the developer go?
Are you saying Lenah’s water system was so defunct that LW tried to hook Lenah up to water/sewer for $10,000 per house and Lenah said no?  Instead they opted to stay in the disastrous experiment called “community water system” with endless and unknown financial obligations? $10,000 per home is a bargain!!  So sad, they made a poor decision (if true).

I am quite sure the director of LW community systems resigned(?) because of his lack of management and poor planning skills.  He was in way over his head.

Loudoun Water Employee—

“whereas Raspberry Falls is getting all sorts of upgrades” - you are talking in the wrong ‘tense’. Nothing has been decided or finalized yet (unless you believe the fix is in, pay for play), there are 2 options on the table. If under the current Board, I’m confident that option #1 for membrane filtration would be the one they choose. With the new Board, all bets are off on all aspects of this.  I’m no fan of #2, and feel #1 is the proper step, but I hear the gripes about spreading the pain amongst all the community systems. That’s policy I wasn’t aware of, as it doesn’t affect me.  If a tax district is indeed created, perhaps that can shield the rest of the CS’s from this huge capital outlay. But, then it would only be fair that ALL the CS’s go the tax district route for any future improvements…kind of defeating the purpose of this new policy.

Tough one. Thanks

Occupy Loudoun Water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Dont want lenah money” - read the changed policy letter here:  http://tinyurl.com/88j3w9h

Loudoun Water changed their policy for community systems in 2008 to bill customers across all Community Systems and rolled all capital costs into the new rates across all systems.  Lenah hasn’t had much if any capital costs whereas Raspberry Falls is getting all sorts of upgrades.  Lenah is no longer under developer control and hasn’t been since before 2006.  Residents pay the entire bill for water and our rates increased 200% in 2008 due to this policy since we have to pay for upgrades in Raspberry Falls.  You need to educate yourself on the issues and stop telling other people they are wrong.  The reason you don’t care about the facts is because you believe the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you will get other people, like the residents of the other community systems communities to pay for your upgrades.  Your system meets the EPA stringent requirements yet you still yell at the top of your lungs, file lawsuits, etc. from your community so that you can get what you want for free like a little child.  Read the above statement from Loudoun water and if you actually understand it, you will understand that the pooling of capital costs across all community systems was basically a response by Loudoun Water to try to hide extraordinary costs in RF through other communities budgets and rates.  The problem is that RF is sucking out all the money from those capital reserves leaving those who fund it (Lenah is the largest Community System) high and dry.  LW has already tried to charge the residents at Lenah $10,000 per household to hook it up to the main water and sewer.  That amounts to a $2.5 million charge.  The director of LW community systems resigned last year because he knew he would never please the residents of RF.  It’s ok for RF to donate funds to alot of politicians though to get Loudoun County to fund this project.

Loudoun Republican is right!  The government shouldn’t do a thing to help these people - let the free market handle it!  We need to get government out of things like providing water to existing houses, sounds like another money sucking liberal scheme to me.

Thu, Nov 17 at 10:37 AM by Bronxnative -

A part of the cost math that I think are ignoring is the great unknown cost to the County and taxpayers if this new Board changes the Rural Policy Area policy against prohibiting central utilities in the RPA. OR, they do away w/ the RPA and the whole structure of policy areas we have today. It’s possible. The impacts of development up the 15 corridor - of which a line to RF would be domino #1 (IF RF is not otherwise annexed into the TOL, which changes this whole discussion immeasurably) - can’t really be fathomed, but turning over those thousands of acres to suburban style density would be as unprecedented as the Greenvest projects would have been in western Dulles years ago.

We all have to take off the myopic blinders and see the (possibly unintended) consequences of what seems to many as a very minor policy diversion. It’s far more than that.

...over Karst when central utilities were NOT going to be allowed to serve it…

Sorry, left out the most important word - NOT

Thu, Nov 17 at 10:14 AM by Sick and Tired of Offensive Name Calling Propagand—

“Why wasn’t Van Metre forced to at least put a MICROFILTER on the community well system?”

The water treatment facilities were built to the proper standards as dictated by the VA Department of Health. YOu don’t like that it wasn’t more intense, shout toward Richmond. I’m no lawyer, but I’m thinking that it would be illegal - and defeated in court by Van Metre - if VDH and LW required them to ‘over engineer’ the water treatment system based on the known chance (due to the obvious karst geology) that contamination beyond the already required treatment levels could occur. Now, Van Metre could have VOLUNTARILY - so this exact situation wouldn’t have occurred - done more and/or better water treatment methods, but as we know, they did the bare minimum to gain approvals from VDH and LW.

Bare minimums. That’s what all developers do, especially when they’ve already fought in court against those with better judgement about whether or not an entire neighborhood should be built over Karst when central utilities were going to be allowed to serve it.  RF was a bad idea from the inception, so far as water and wastewater was concerned. County knew it. Van Metre saw dollar signs. What were they to care if the wells went bad. We’ll wait and see if they pay any penalty for this risk - my bet is not, that the RF’ers for decades will pay for their resolution.

By the way, ‘ignorant’ is not name calling. It’s describing a fact.

Bravo!! I think LW should be able to make smart decisions that better protect each individual community yet they are restricted by the ridiculous billing practice established by the BOS. Loudoun water supplies water to over 70K people and distributes the cost of the services to all. By having a large distribution LW can take a proactive position on improvements. Pipes, storage or even preparing for upcoming new regulation. These systems would improve if they were put under “Loudoun Water” no distinction should be made and service and expectation should be the same if you are considered a customer of Loudoun Water.

Get government out of this.  Every Republican knows government only causes problems!

RF should solicit bids from private industry to construct a treatment plant to serve the community and pay the rates set by the water provider.  The free market will work for them.  We all know this is the best way to solve the problem, so how come none of our fellow Republicans has mentioned it?

Too bad -
I don’t believe you are from Lenah or you would KNOW that the reason your rates were raised is b/c it is Loudoun Waters standard practice to artificially suppress a communities water rate until the developer is no longer financially responsible.  You would also know (b/c you were at the meetings with us as a resident of Lenah) that LW tried to raise RF rates b/f RF had issues to $36 per thousand gallons.  That would have paid for fixing the @# the developer installed.  It would ALSO pay for SUBDISING other neighborhoods that CANT pay.  Surely you know about that, right Lenah?
Yes, we subsidize other neighborhoods that can’t afford their Community Systems.  When RF asked Loudoun Water why (and u where there, right Lenah?), they said b/c WE could afford it.  Do the math: RF ALONE pays over $150,000 per year for free water from the ground, NO filter, NO plant just plain ole chlorine.  As you read above, the cost to run RF annually is $50,000. 
This should not be new information to you b/c your community was at those meetings when these issues were discussed.  If you are confused talk to your HOA or LW. 
Best of luck to you Lenah let us know if we can help.

Don’t many Republicans advocate for the dismantling of the EPA since it’s bad for business?  Since we now have a fully Republican BOS, shouldn’t they fall in line and ignore anything to do with the EPA?  Just pretend that Respberry Falls’ water is fine…no need for any evil government agency getting involved!

Come on folks, get behind those Republicans…you know they’ve got your best interests at heart!!!

Occupy Uranus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lenah water well was compromised something like 4+ times in the last year.  Usually it occurs in the summer because demand is higher and the cheap pumps they installed fail.  If they simply put in better pumps with some back up pumps, the problem would largely be solved.  Loudoun Water is so stupid and cheap they end up putting in the exact same pumps or repair the ones there.  Contamination can occur and does.  This is why once the water is pumped out of the contaminated wells, it it TREATED!  Lenah has very hard water as a result.  If you think public water and sewar is any better, you are sadly mistaken.  The purpose for the EPA standards is to make water safe for consumption.  Our water is one of the best resources in the world because of our high standards.  The people at raspberry falls are making this issue far bigger than it should be because they know the louder they cry the more attention it will get.  In the mean time, other community well and septic communities are getting their rates jacked 200% because of these cry babies.  As it was mentioned before, two years ago Loudoun Water tried to jack the rate for Lenah Run up to 300% of standard rates in order to fund improvements at RASPBERRY FALLS!  Lenah is the largest well and septic community system in the county and it is having to pay hundreds of dollars more per household because of selfish homeowners in Raspberry Falls.  If you want improvements to your system beyond what the EPA has deemed as necessary, then simply PAY FOR IT YOURSELVES!  Don’t make other neighborhoods or tax payers foot the bill for your requirements.  There are individual well and septic systems all over western Loudoun that don’t have to comply with EPA standards.  Each homeowner pays to maintain their own system.  Chemicals are used in each of these systems to make the water drinkable.  How many of those wells are being contaminated and noone ever even knows about it?  I’d say lots.  They treat their water and it deals with the majority of the problem.  If you want a home with public sewar and water, move east.  You don’t have to go very far.  One of the drawbacks of living in a more rural area is that you normally have to use well and septic, and utilities such as gas, have to be trucked in.  It goes with the territory.  Paying thousands to supervisors to try to buy your way into getting a free water pipeline (costs born on the backs of everyone else) is just wrong.  If you are successful at getting the county to foot the bill after giving all of these thousands of dollars, then you should and the supervisors should be ashamed of themselves.

Dear Tax district:
Thank you. You have it exactly correct. RF will pay for the entire cost of extending the Leesburg water main and buying Leesburg water. The water fees will be almost entirely additional revenue for Leesburg because the marginal cost of production of the water sold to RF will be virtually zero. Loudoun Water is disingenuous when it fails to compare the annual cost per customer of Leesburg water vs a filter plant. The initial capital cost of construction is only part of the equation. To understand the annual cost per customer, you have to amortize the capital expense and the maintenance/operating expense over the useful life of the asset. A pipe will last a century or more and incur immaterial annual maintenance cost. A complex filter plant will last only a few years before it needs to be replaced and will incur significant annual maintenance and operating expense. Loudoun Water has no experience in building or maintaning such a plant, and will undoubtedly outsource construction and management, costs which were not included in the study. When all is said and done, the actual annual cost per cistomer for the Leesburg connection will be significantly less than the annual cost for the fiter plant.

Can’t have it both ways but can’t fault you for trying
LOUDOUN COUNTY ADOPTS LIMESTONE OVERLAY DISTRICT
Why?? Was this to stop growth or was there really a high risk of water contamination? How did the adopted LOD regulation help people that live within the newly adopted LOD? The LOD took away the right for “some” residents” to drill their own well and make their own decisions, decide how much risk is or isn’t acceptable. Instead the LOD mandated more expensive community water systems and mandated the addition of ultra violet light for filtration. So what does that say to you? There is no doubt the county and BOS knew the high risk of ground water contamination in certain areas in the county. A few screamed it from the mountain tops in order to adopt the LOD. Yet, the same folks that screamed water and stream contamination are now saying there are NO problems. RF was used to adopt the LOD and stop growth and now the real water issues surfaced. Can’t have it both ways

Van Metre just gave 1,000,000 to Loudoun Water last year and they used it to explore for and dig another well.  GONE, up in smoke, spent!  They had their choice for filtration and spent it on another bad well.  You don’t get it.  The ones making the bad decisions need to go.  The choices are the problem.

@Shawn in Leesburg - really?

Quit being such cryberries. A little raw sewage in your cocktails only adds flavor and, as a bonus, exhibits a salubrious effect on golf turf.

To Sick and Tired of the Ignorant: 
“....The County policy prohibited central utilities then, and the County fought against the developer - in court - and lost, and then was forced to approve the subdivision plans. So the principle of building homes on wells in karst WAS DEFENDED, but the developer won in court.”

REALLY? I am Ignorant? How dare you call me indecent names under the guise of anonimity implying I have no knowledge of the political and legal obfuscation that has led to the nightmare I am living. I am fully aware of that lawsuit. Why wasn’t Van Metre forced to at least put a MICROFILTER on the community well system?  Answer that Mr. Know-IT-ALL.

Anybody who has sat in BOS meetings knows the PEC is there.  As for me, the demand for homes in this area is not going down.  More will come.  I am a realist, plan for that.  If it means townhouses then widen 15, after all it is a Federal evacuation route.  The Investers of the World are looking everywhere for opportunity, you think this area is on the radar.  Yes, low unemployment, Federal Contracts….come on more will come.  If you don’t like it move neither of us can change the reality of what is happening.

How much would it cost to have tanker trucks take water from Leesburg up to Raspberry Falls, then refit the homes so that outdoor and toilet hookups use the well water and indoor drinking/shower faucets use the trucked-in water?

“The project would cost $7.5 million to build and the Town of Leesburg would pay $418,000 in annual operating costs, according to the study.”  The study clearly states the cost is $418,000 BUT the residents receiving the water will pay the additional annual cost.

A ‘sanitary district’ would be a tax district set up over the RF homes, whereby each home would be levied a tax to, in essence, pay back loans that were taken out to build the new water treatment system. Instead of RF having to come up w/ the several million upfront to build the improvements. It’s the same principle as levying bonds to pay for public infrastructure, except this would apply to each RF home - not the owners - and so doesn’t matter who buys/sells a house, it runs with the house for the period of the pay-back. It could be 30 years to pay off the loans. Much/somewhat like the Rt. 28 tax district, whereby those property have and will pay a special tax to pay off the bonds used to fund all those interchanges that were built before full funding was available.

to Wanh, wanh, wanh:  You are naive if you don’t think the water assoc with those Lenah incidents of “possible contamination” was pushed through your distribution system before your well was shut down. Being that you “never really know” when those “incidents” are going to happen (and are not notified by the water authority for 2-3 days after they occur)I would like to see you drink a glass of water from your tap EVERY day for a month. Which day do you think it will be that the e-coli bacteria will be in your glass?

@Sick and Tired of the Bad Rap -”...and have a terrible taste in my mouth….”

Must be a denizen of Raspberry Falls. Imagine the taste when your septic system fails. nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Thu, Nov 17 at 08:59 AM by Sick and Tired of the Bad Rap - “Those County Leaders FAILED to stand up and demand that the developer provide the proper water infrastructure that would withstand the challenges of the geology they KNEW would pose high risk to water quality.”

You couldn’t be more in error. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. The County policy prohibited central utilities then, and the County fought against the developer - in court - and lost, and then was forced to approve the subdivision plans. So the principle of building homes on wells in karst WAS DEFENDED, but the developer won in court.

So take your hate and aim it at Van Metre. Get yourself educated before you go b*tch off on people and groups when you don’t know the first thing about the situation.

Today water, tomorrow traffic from all the new homes built with the new water line.  Just wait, Raspberry Falls surrounded by townhomes.  It will be so funny.  Then they will be crying again.  PEC the boogey man.  I didn’t see them anywhere in the last election.

Still wondering about the developer role in all this. After all they promised the homes (at a high price) with clean H20 correct? Why do people always assume that the government has to pay for mistakes that someone else made? By the way, when you accuse staff of approving this development I wonder if you actually read the documents. The BOS does ignore staff advise more then you think. I might suggest that the new board attend this meeting to get up to snuff on the facts prior to having to vote on the issue. Anyone know of the email addresses of the new board so we can start sending them opinions?

Occupy Raspberry Falls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about the 17,000,000 endowment the PEC enjoys.  Then uses that to sprinkle people on every major committee in Loudoun.  Many of those people don’t even live here.  They drafted the LOD (version 1 and 2), the CBPO, the Rural Policy Area, the water solutions.  They are posting most of the profanity on this blog.  AND they don’t want any of us to live here!  1.32 per 100 for real estate taxes, just our penalty for moving in as they see it.  Find someone that represents me and my family, my neighbors and friends… My Community!  If the new BOS won’t they should go as well.

If there are so many problems with the other systems, why is Raspberry Falls the only ones complaining?  Lenah’s water rates doubled and almost tripled because of the cry babies in Rwspberry falls. They fought against tripled rates and loudoun water backed down.  Lenah has had several incidences of possible contamination, but they followed protocal and cleaned out the system.  Possible contamination does not equal contamination.  EPA water requirements are stringent and your community complies with those requirements.  Now you want the well funded candidates you sent to the BOS to fund your new system that replaces an old system that meets EPA requirements? Wanh, want.  Maybe you should have bought some more of the supervisors?  Other people did.

With the new board, these people will finally have a shot at good clean water.  This type of obstruction that was taking place is why I voted against Burton in my district. These people deserve to have clean water.  The size and cost of their homes should not even be a consideration.

I am ASTOUNDED of those on this blog who have persecuted the Rasp Falls residents for standing up and bravely exposing the terrible injustice that was done 20 years ago. The County Adminstration, Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission should be ashamed that it was WEAK in a moment in time that could have made ALL THE DIFFERENCE for residents who now have to FIGHT for the basic right to CLEAN WATER. Those County Leaders FAILED to stand up and demand that the developer provide the proper water infrastructure that would withstand the challenges of the geology they KNEW would pose high risk to water quality. I am SICK and TIRED of the STIGMA on the VICTIMS that you people perpetuate through this blog. I AM ANGRY and have a terrible taste in my mouth towards those who chose to bash victims instead of the perpetrators who carried out THIS CRIME! Stand BACK, I say, and Shut Up if you cannot muster the empathy to walk in my shoes.

GUDI determination Nov 2010,  first ecoli recorded 2006, EPA been hangin around since 2009, Possible violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 1million on developer funds burned thru to bring a well on that was brought offline in less than 3 months because of contamination, Lenah, Aldie, Hamilton all problems…....  Sounds like Einsteins definition of insanity, “do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result!”. Just fix it the right way!  This is insane.

“Give me some water” 

Eddie Money

When is it going to end with these Snobs, next they will want water to put out house fires, oops, touchy subject How about clean water to drink, you already have your huge Mansions on protected land, Limiting the homeowners rights, Thank you Sally Kurtz (LMO)  What other rights do you think you deserve?

$2,500 to delgaudio
$2,000 to Higgins
$1,000 to York
Dirty water=Dirty money

Community well systems simply are terrible.  In Lenah the system has been shut down due to possible contamination over four times in the last year.  The rates inLenah were doubled to serve the complaints at Raspberry Falls.  Loudoun robbing peter to pay Paul.  When will the Lenah system be fixed?

Art rhymes with .....

A lot of sick jealous comments from a batch of haters.  If people need clean water what’s the real issue?  Trying to screw people who mistakenly relied on the county to do it’s job when it approved the plan and water treatment plant?

The great people of Raspberry Falls, aka Moneytown USA, can install coin slots next to every water outlet, therefore they can pay by the gallon with all their gold That will show them!

Let’s see-how many other communities and residents have had to beg for better quality drinking water under Burton?

I think his
Aldie community water system pays less for water than the raspberry falls folks….....wonder why

Falls

I am thrilled that many people in loudoun county where able to give contributions to many of these hard working citizens that cared enough to run for office. Shame on Sally Kurtz and the others for ignoring the real issues in loudoun. !!!!

Reading this blog I am embarrassed to be a resident of Loudoun County.

I would be embarrassed to claim residency in Raspberry Falls.

Let’s compromise and build a ‘green’ sewage reclamation facility to serve the good villagers of Raspberry Falls.

Loudoun Taxpayers better not be putting one single nickel in that pipeline. Let the rich folks of Raspberry Falls pay for it themselves.

Lots of money donated in the last election from Raspberry Falls residents through their corporations.  No surprise here.

Why should Leesburg take on a water system that the developer should have taken care of? There is something wrong with this…the developer should fix it, not the town of Leesburg…if I lived in Leesburg, i would be screaming bloody murder. Lets look into this…someone or something is wrong.

$418,000 per year to maintain an a pipe under ground?  Where do i sign up for that job?

“The rural west is screwed….”

Who knows, maybe we’ll get reliable electricity, paved roads and broadband internet access?

“The cost of improvements to the Raspberry Falls Community Water System will be recovered from Raspberry Falls customers, according to Loudoun Water. In addition, Loudoun Water will support the Board of Supervisors to consider establishing a sanitary district to pay for the system.”

Somebody clarify this.  This is what I read:  The portion of this new water line that is within RF is paid for by those residents.  The “sanitary district” that pays for the line outside of RF is where things get fuzzy.  Guess that means those of us that already have county water/sewer.  It should be the paid for by the developers chomping at the bit that this gets done.

The rural west is screwed.  Suzanne Volpe is telling everyone she will be the Land Use Committee Chair and she is well known for wanting to cover everything with houses to Clarke County.  This will be just one part of the grand plan that they need to get done before they get kicked out in four years.  Enjoy your views while you can.

I hope that the taxpayers of Loudoun or Leesburg don’t end up paying for this. 

Raspberry residents should foot the entire bill & then let them go after the developer who left them with this mess. 

I have to believe that the developer is liable for selling houses with a bad water system.

Feels good to be justified in my understanding of the situation and how this issue can/will potentially play out.

W/ the new Republican Board making this decision, it’s hard to figure out how and why they might change this. Obviously, changing the long-standing Rural Policy Area prohibition on central utilities - on the guise that it’s ‘just for RF’ - would then, oops, open the door for scads more residential development up the 15 corridor. And that - private property rights, developer interestes, DENSITY, etc. - is definitely something you’d see from a Republican Board (history has proven this).

Key detail is: how big of a line gets extended to RF? If it is sized just big enough to serve RF, then it unto itself is not the bringer of new denser development; it’s the changing of the policy that is the keystone. I foresee a great effort of this coming Board to do away with the 3-tier land use policy area setup we have. The transition area will instantly be eskewed, by a combination of extended Suburban policy area and some hybrid that is more suburban than transition. I could see this new transition or even suburban policy areas extended to areas beyond the JLMA’s of the town, which would in essence leapfrog the Town’s power over their fringes in those JLMA’s. I don’t see Janet Clarke or Ken Reid standing up for the always-thought-of sovereign rights of the big Towns over their destinies. I think this group is all set on shaking things on the mantra of ‘let the market be’.  Abdicating their responsibilities is what I would see it as, but that’s just me.

Note, fire protection has not been mentioned in this LW letter, and it’s recently been propped up as a lightning rod for the sacred pipeline. Let’s see if that get traction. Can’t wait to see Fire Chiefs on the dais explaining rural fire fighting strategy to the Board.

Not even in the position yet and the new Republican Board is looking at ways to bring development to the west.  A water pipeline to Raspberry Falls would open the entire area to new residential development.  Combine that with what they are saying about getting proffers…they are talking about bonus densities already.  Just you wait and see.  This board thinks they are doing right by Loudoun County and what they really are doing is padding home developers pockets.  What tools!  Oh, and all that money that Raspberry Falls residents donated to their campaigns in the last report under some “management company?”  This was merely a payoff in advance to get the county to fund the pipeline.  Just you wait and see, Scott had this planned well in advance.

Occupy Uranus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who’s excited for development to start 5 miles north on the left? Another 246 acres! Cant stop it! They might as well extend the pipeline all the way to Lucketts.

Eight months to complete a study on running a pipe several miles north along Rt 15.
Who paid for that boondoggle and what was the final cost

The Earth is clearly very angry deep beneath Raspberry Falls. The well water is so ticked off at having to be pumped out of the ground in order to clean the filth off of the BMW’s and Lexus SUV’s that it has decided to become contaminated. If a pipeline is built from Leesburg, there’s no telling what the wellwater may do next. Look there’s already been a fire recently…do you guys really want to see what else the ground may do up there?

Sounds like all the Leesburg town tax payers are going to have to pay more for water,  just like they had to for RiverCreek residents who complained about the cost of their waterbill but they don’t pay Town Tax.

Whatever is done, the RF residents need to pay.  Leesburg taxpayers cannot subsidize solving this neighborhood’s problems.  Construction and maintenance needs to be addressed.

Ain’t going to happen.  No Way.  But this is a real opportunity for the Town of Leesburg to push back againt the County, who, we all may recall from just a few months past, saw outgoing wicked witch of the north Sally Kurtz trying to take away Leesburg’s rate setting authority.  So, Raspberry Falls, tooooooooooooooo baddddddddddddddd!