The Upper Occoquan Sewage Authority (UOSA) wants to expand its pumping station on Compton Road in Centreville. And two UOSA representatives explained the plan, last week, to the West Fairfax County Citizens Association (WFCCA) Land-Use Committee.
"It's an infill between two existing buildings and will be brick, like they are," said engineer Jack Rinker. It won't be on the Route 28 end of Compton but, instead, will be where the bridge is over I-66.
That facility is UOSA's Cub Run pumping station, and UOSA needs to obtain Fairfax County's approval for a special-exception permit to use the expanded pumping station and also for some limited filling within the flood plain. In addition, at the state's request, UOSA will widen Compton at that spot; it will put in some landscaping there, as well.
UOSA also proposes some other changes. "We've sought a waiver of the trail [planned] on the south side of Compton Road, in the [county's] Comprehensive Plan," said Rinker. "And we've learned that there's an amendment, [anyway], to move this trail to the north side of Compton Road."
Furthermore, UOSA hopes to shift its entrance further west on Compton, and this new entrance would become its main one. As for the fill area, Rinker said it's along the back of the existing property and would require about 4,000 cubic yards of material.
The WFCCA's Jim Hart asked if a larger pumping station would mean any greater potential of odor in that area, but UOSA executive director James Bannwart assured him that UOSA is already taking care of it, before there's any problem.
"Because of the larger volume of wastewater, there could be [an odor] in the future, so we're putting in an odor scrubber [to prevent it]," he said.
Actually, added Rinker, the expansion will be beneficial to the whole pumping station: "The original pumping station was built in 1972, so we'll improve it with current, state-of-the-art technology."
Bull Run Civic Association president Judy Heisinger lives on the corner of Compton and Bull Run Post Office roads, and she voiced a traffic concern. She asked if UOSA's trucks could use Route 28, instead of Route 29, Compton or Bull Run Post Office.
"We have school buses, and that road is dangerous," she explained. "Having chemical trucks and school buses on that road [together] is just not a good idea."
Bannwart said it would be fine with UOSA: "We'll work with our suppliers to have them come up Route 28." He and Rinker will return to the WFCCA next month with further details of the proposed expansion. The plan then goes to the county Planning Commission on March 7 and to the county Board of Supervisors on March 18.