special meters in order to use the new sewer.

special meters in order to use the new sewer.

In other areas, water project administrators have been resourceful in solving the water problems of poor communities. One elderly poor man was given a pump for his yard where previously he had only a rain barrel to collect water during rainy spells.

In Fauquier, funds were used to extend water service to a poor community otherwise not slated for improvements.

Outreach for this program has been difficult, said Mrs. Hostetter, partly because poor families without water are embarrassed to admit it.

“They should remember that all our records are private,” she said. “They can call us at 347-0062; or write to us at Box 22, Warrenton, or come to the office at 73 Lee St.”

The agency now hab the funds and the manpower to reach poor Rappahannock families, she added. Grants per family are made for amounts up to $400.00, and they may be made for a variety of improvements just so long as the result is a better water system for a low-income family.

The Virginia Water Project has another focus as well, said Mrs. Hostetter.

“Just as great a concern for everyone is the future of our water supply here in the foothills and mountains,” she said. “We’re near the source of the water supply and we can either keep our water pure or pollute it for ourselves and those below us.”

Mrs. Hostetter noted that recent information on underground water sources shows that impurities move along much more slowly than was previously imagined. This means, she said, that toxic chemicals and petroleum products stay in our water table for a long time.

“A gallon of motor oil can pollute a tremendous aquifer,” she explained. “Rural stores with gas tanks and farms with tanks underground shoidd take pains to check for leakage. These are major sources of pollutants now.”

Why this sudden interest in Rappahannock water on the part of the Fauquier agency? “Well, this is my home,” said Mrs. Hostetter. “I guess you could say that I volunteered.”