What's In Your Water?

The environmental working group puts out a drinking water quality report.  Check out what came up in Raspberry Falls and in Selma.  Selma is in worse shape than Raspberry Falls and they want to connect us to Selma?

http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whatsinyourwater/VA/Raspberry-Falls-Subdivision/6107601/

http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whatsinyourwater/VA/Selma-Estates/6107660/

Letter to Senator Holtzman Vogel and Delegate May

Senator Holtzman Vogel and Delegate May,  

I am disappointed in the summary report from you and your staff.  We are a community worried about our immediate health and safety and your meeting/recommendations did little if any help for our families.  

We were disappointed when we learned from Memory Porter of Delegate May's office, that we were excluded from the meeting because the meeting was "legislative."  We accepted this notice and worked hard to prepare you and your staff as well as Delegate May's staff with our history and our questions for Dr. Kleene.  We were disappointed when we learned that all of our questions were not presented to Dr. Kleene, but mostly our expectations were dashed when we learned that Loudoun Water's "spin doctor," Mark Peterson would be included in the "legislative" meeting.  This disappointment came to fruition with the summary report.

You gave no real expectations in your report.  You suggested the interconnection with Selma was a "permanent fix."  In fact, we are fearful because it appears that Selma's water is even more polluted than Raspberry Fall's, and we were told at best, the connection was only a "temporary backup" for our one sad well.  You suggested that the Raspberry Falls Water Study which was voted by Loudoun Water Board of Directors on January 13, 2011, would be looking into long term solutions for Raspberry Falls.  However, this water study committee has not been named or moved forward with any action since that date, 7 weeks ago.  Our continued emails and phone calls to Loudoun Water questioning when this committee would move forward remain unanswered.  This is another example of the repeated delay and non response we have received from Loudoun Water from the beginning of our cry for help.  

You suggested there was an investigation after the disintegrating bison were discovered.  Did you ask to see this report?  We were told by Dr. Goodfriend, Director of Loudoun County Health Department, that there was no investigation other than one question, "why did the bison die," answer, "it was a rough winter."  Most people understand that bison typically withstand "rough winters."  A true investigation would have automatically required further questions and actions because of our karst geology and the possible repercussions to well contamination. 

Why has the EPA dye trace study been delayed by Loudoun Water and our developer, Van Metre.  This test would prove conclusively the true extent of the safety of our wells, GUDI or not.  There can only be one answer as to why Loudoun Water and Van Metre fear the dye trace study and work against it taking place. I personally gave your office contact information for Dr. Malcolm Field of the EPA.  He has done a complete field study of Raspberry Falls and the surrounding area since 2009.  Dr. Fields is a world renowned limestone karst expert, and has studied our geology more than anyone.  He has been standing ready to proceed with his test for over a year.  Why was he not asked to join your meeting or at the very least be interviewed before your meeting?

There has been a merry-go-round of delay from John Wilburn, of Loudoun Water and Michael Banzhaf of Van Metre, for years.  The EPA, at least, is taking a strong stand and trying to push forward with the dye trace study. We were hoping that your office could help us cut through this injustice and bring relief to our community.  You told me in an email, Senator Holtzman Vogel, that our families were a priority.

We will continue to seek help for our community, again I am disappointed that our state representatives were not willing to do more.   

Karen Saunders

cc:  Congressman Frank Wolf

       Senator Mark Warner

       Senator Jim Webb

       Governor Bob McDonnell

       Dr. William Hazel

       Senator Mark Herring

       Delegate Robert Marshall

       Dr. Wesley Kleene

Class V Injection in Selma Estates

Letter to Steve Spitzer, Auditor for Loudoun Water

March 3, 2011

Mr. Steve Spitzer

Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C.

302 South Loudoun Street
Winchester, VA 22604

Mr. Spitzer: 

As the auditing firm of record for Loudoun Water (also known as LCSA) you are charged with performing an annual audit and expressing an opinion on Loudoun Water’s financials.  In your most recent audit from 2009 you state:

“In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Loudoun Water as of December 31, 2009, and the respective changes in financial position and the cash flows, where applicable, thereof for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”

Unfortunately, Loudoun Water’s financial report provides a distorted reflection of the operating performance and financial viability of the communal systems served by Loudoun Water.  As you may not know:

1. Loudoun Water considers communal users to be financially separate and distinct from users of the central system;
2. There are approximately 763 current communal users (with approx 2,000 communal users expected upon build out at the various communal communities);
3. Over a four year period (2006 to 2009), the communal systems incurred a cumulative loss of ($987,842);
4. In order to support the operations of each communal system, Loudoun Water has had to borrow funds from the central system;
5. Each communal system should be self sufficient with the respective developer paying for the installation of each communal system and subsidizing the ongoing maintenance of each communal system up and until a certain build out point in time; and
6. Communal users have had to rely on FOIA requests to better understand the financial picture of the communal systems.

Potential users of Loudoun Water’s financials could be current communal system customers as well as future communal system customers looking to purchase a house in a communal system community.  As a result, we expect that Loudoun Water would include a supplemental financial presentation on the communal systems in their 2010 Annual Report and provide disclosures as it relates to their financial viability (including the financial viability of each system and its reserves and borrowings).  Since Loudoun Water considers communal users to be financially separate and distinct from users of the central system, we also expect that your opinion consider and reflect this fact accordingly.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this very serious matter.

Sincerely,

Scott R. Lutz

cc: Mr. Fred Jennings - Board Member and Chairman, Loudoun Water

Mr. Dale Hammes - Board Member and General Manager, Loudoun Water

Mr. Edward Burrell - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Pravin Gandhi - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Charles Harris - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Mark Koblos - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Ms. Patti Psaris - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Johnny Rocca - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Ms. Tanja Thompson - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Ralph Watson - Board Member, Loudoun Water

Mr. Scott York - Chairman, Loudoun County 

Ms. Susan Klimek Buckley - Vice Chairman, Loudoun County

Mr. Jim Burton - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Ms. Lori Waters - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Ms. Sally Kurtz - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Mr. Stevens Miller - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Ms. Kelly Burk - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Ms. Andrea McGemsey - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Mr. Eugene Delgaudio - Supervisor, Loudoun County

Mr. Tim Hemstreet - Administrator, Loudoun County

Mr. Charles Yudd - Administrator, Loudoun County

Loudoun County Building and Development Geotechnical Review in Selma

Active Sink hole in Selma

This is an open sinkhole in Selma in the stormwater area, right before you get to the pond in Selma taken Feb. 2011.  The stormwater pond was almost empty when this photo was taken despite the fact that the other stormwater ponds were full due to warm temperatures causing major snow melt in the area.  This is the stormwater management pond that is closest to the Raspberry Falls property line and it is likely that this condition is impacting the quality of our groundwater.

Picture taken Feb. 2011