Fairfax County Leaders, 

The proposed Poplar Heights water tower project has raised many concerns in our neighborhood. It is our strong belief that our neighborhood is not an appropriate site for this project. We are writing to request a thorough site selection process for the Second High Storage Tank Project. Given the significant negative impact of such a large infrastructure project, a thorough site selection process is warranted and required, and it has not been done.

The site selection analysis should :

• Include neighborhood impact as a top-priority factor.
• Consider the long-term needs of the water system.
• Analyze all viable sites.
• Use accurate and truthful information.
• Exclude socio-economic bias.
• Welcome community input.

After reviewing materials provided by Fairfax Water and gathered through research of other water tower projects, topographic maps, and water industry reports; we feel confident that the Poplar Heights neighborhood is not an appropriate site for additional water storage for the Second High Pressure Zone. An industrial-scale water tower in the Poplar Heights neighborhood would have the highest negative neighborhood impact of all viable sites. Other sites offer acceptable land elevation and are not occupied by homes. Examples include Mount Daniel, Highland Point, the Haycock radio site, and Powhatan Hills Park. All offer more space with less impact, and all are located at land elevation greater than 400ft. In particular, the Powhatan site is a 7-acre parcel acquired for future development of a water storage facility. While it requires a high near-term investment, this site could accommodate all future water storage needs (up to three 2.5MG towers) while still maintaining a 50-ft buffer of mature, full-grown tree cover on all sides.

Near-term cost cannot be the only factor in site selection, and locating new locally unwanted land use projects in areas already negatively impacted by existing projects is no longer an accepted practice. The proposed Poplar Heights water tower project would force people from their homes and destroy our neighborhood. It is not something that should be taken lightly. A proper site selection process must be conducted.

The process and communications regarding the proposed Poplar Heights water tower have been rife with lies, misinformation, and disregard for the people who live here. Fairfax Water and the district supervisor’s office have deployed misleading language such ‘tank replacement’ to obscure the true nature of the project and avoid raising concern in the community. They have claimed that the proposed site is occupied by a water tower when it is occupied by homes. They bullied homeowners into selling against their will and lied about their plans to demolish homes. 

Let’s put a stop to that kind of behavior now and conduct the accurate, truthful, thorough, and transparent site selection process that this project requires. 

Sincerely, 

Poplar Heights Neighbors