We remain concerned about the Ridgewater Park proposal, which calls for 931 new houses on land currently planned for only 38 houses between Leesburg and Ashburn. The proposal is for land that protects Ashburn's drinking water source, the Goose Creek Reservoir.  

In light of the drought's severe impact on the Beaverdam Reservoir, does it make sense to add another threat to our drinking water sources?*

Beaverdam Reservoir in 2003	Beaverdam Reservoir this month Water levels 80% below normal

Please urge the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission to:

• Say NO to Ridgewater Park
• Save taxpayers millions of dollars in capital and operating costs
  
• Prevent 9,310 daily car trips (not including commercial traffic!) on the Greenway, Route 7, and local roads in Leesburg and Ashburn
• Protect Ashburn's drinking water
• Protect our Comprehensive Plan

*The Beaverdam Reservoir is a water storage facility for the Goose Creek Reservoir.  When the creek is running high, water is siphoned off to be stored until the creek is low.  Then it is released back to the stream to be collected at the Goose Creek Reservoir.

More Information

• Impacts of the proposal (Word doc)
  Prepared by the Piedmont Environmental Council
• County staff report (Word doc)

Our Drinking Water Quality at Risk
The drinking water for Ashburn and City of Fairfax would be negatively impacted by this development. The proposed development for 931 houses directly impacts the drinking water supply in the Goose Creek reservoir.

County staff previously told the Planning Commission that our drinking water is at risk, because there is no chance for toxic chemicals, bacteria, and other pollutants to be diluted before they go right into the water intake. 

Drinking water concerns from the County Staff Report^

"The reservoir, owned by the City of Fairfax, is an important drinking water resource to the County.  It contains approximately 200 million gallons of water and serves approximately 45,000 people living in the City of Fairfax and Loudoun County.  Approximately one-half of the water treated at the Goose Creek Water Treatment Plant is used by Loudoun residents. ...Allowing more intensive development in this area could adversely impact the reservoir.  The City of Fairfax, in a November 7, 2006 letter, raised several concerns regarding development adjacent to reservoir, including:

• increased sedimentation to the reservoir (which will require more frequent dredging, a costly process);
• increased chemical runoff due to residential use of fertilizers and pest control chemicals;
• in the event of contamination caused by residential landbays in close proximity to the Water Treatment Plant, the plant may have to shut down in order to complete the required testing and treating, a process that would leave 45,000 people without water;
• it may be necessary for the City to construct costly fencing/security facilities to prevent human/animal related contamination;
• increased potential for liability issues; and
• sanitary sewer back-up/overflow entering the reservoir."

^Please note that this staff report is for the Ridgewater Park CPAM.

Sincerely,

Gem Bingol, Piedmont Environmental Council
On behalf of the Campaign for Loudoun's Future

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Together, We're Fighting to Protect the Quality of Life in Loudoun

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