New water tank proposed for Seven Corners
Fairfax Water has submitted plans to Fairfax County to replace the 200,000-gallon water tank in Seven Corners with a new 1-million-gallon tank nearby.
The Fairfax Water Authority submitted an application for a zoning special exception and a request for a 2232 public facilities review to the Fairfax County Planning and Development Department in late November.
According to Fairfax Water, the existing 75-year-old Wilston Water Tank, at 6122 Willston Drive within the Seven Corners Apartments complex, is in deteriorating condition. It will be demolished when the new tank is built.
The new tank would also be located at the Seven Corners Apartments, but would be adjacent to Upton Hill Regional Park.
To accommodate construction of the new tank, Fairfax Water would demolish an apartment building and relocate a playground.
According to a statement submitted by Fairfax Water, “The new tank will significantly improve service reliability within the existing distribution system, provide more consistent water pressure, and increase available fire flow for customers in Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church, and Arlington County who are served by the Willston Pressure Zone.”
Related story: Fairfax Water proposes a rate hike
The new location “is less prominent and less visible to the surrounding community, minimizes disruption to residents, and preserves opportunities for future residential redevelopment consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan,” Fairfax Water states. The utility plans to construct a new pedestrian path to Upton Hill Park.
The new tank will be approximately146 feet high. It will have a 74-foot diameter steel bowl and a 40-foot diameter concrete pedestal.
Fairfax Water acquired the City of Falls Church water system in 2014, which included the water tank in Seven Corners. A subsequent master plan of the integrated system identified several deficiencies in the former Falls Church system, including low service pressure, insufficient storage volume, and reliability concerns due to the poor condition of the tank.
To address those deficiencies, Fairfax Water negotiated an agreement with the owner of the Seven Corners Apartments to acquire an easement for a new tank.