Water haulers put on notice

WINCHESTER — A public hearing scheduled Tuesday night will give bulk water-hauling businesses in Frederick County, along with local residents, the chance to comment on potential changes regarding how haulers can receive water.

Four county fire hydrants can be used by the haulers for their water needs, but Uwe Weindel, engineer-director of the Frederick County Sanitation Authority, said Friday that changes are being considered because the FCSA wants to reduce cross-contamination of water that sometimes occurs and to find a reason for unaccounted water losses from its hydrants.

Changes being considered include having a metered fire hydrant on the FCSA’s property that likely would be open during regular business hours, or a pump station — similar to a gas station — that could have more flexible hours, Weindel said.

“There’s alternatives, we haven’t explored all of them and we want to get feedback from the haulers,” he said.

Weindel added that he doesn’t think any nearby localities, such as Winchester or Clarke County, offer the bulk water services now provided by the FCSA.

Madeline Whitacre of the bulk water-hauling business Blue H2o Water Service LLC said any proposed changes could harm her business and others like it.

“We also help the farmers when their cattle needs water, or anybody that needs their yard watered,” she said. “That’s a big concern when you’re only doing it for a certain amount of hours. We’re just not a 9-to-5 job situation.”

Whitacre added that haulers in the county take water to the Shawneeland Sanitary District due to water issues in the community.

“We just gave them seven loads — seven trucks at 3,000 gallons — [and] we just finished filling up their pumps,” she said. “When their pump goes down, they have no water; there’s nothing for those people to have.”

The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the FCSA’s Office Building at 315 Tasker Road near Stephens City.

— Contact Matt Armstrong atmarmstrong@winchesterstar.com