Water

Water

permit

revoked

The regional director of the Health Department’s office of water programs has announced the department’s intent to revoke the water supply system permit issued to Rappahannock Lakes in 1979.

According to a letter dated July 15 from Hugh Eggbome to Dr. James E. Williams, the developer of the subdivision and owner of the water system, an inspection has confirmed Rappahannock Lakes now has two separate water systems.

“Each . . . serves less than the population or number of connections required to be a public water system. This apparently occurred because many of those covered under your operation permit have elected to install their own wells,” Mr. Eggbome wrote, noting that other households connected to a nearby well on private property after a ruptured section of pipe in the subdivision’s water system was not replaced. “It is our intent to revoke (the permit) for Rappahannock Lakes water supply system* as we have no authority to regulate nonpublic systems,” the engineer wrote.

With the certified letter sent to Dr. Williams at a Front Royal post office box was a form which the water system owner and permit holder is to complete and return to the Health Department, indicating whether he has objections to the revocation. As of July 28 that form had not been received at the Office of Water Programs in Culpeper.

According to District Engineer Joe Burner, the reciept for the certified mail shows it was picked up on July 23. “If we don’t hear from Dr. Williams by early August, we’ll follow up by telephone or by letter again.”

If Dr. Williams concurs, the permit will be revoked; no approval from the county is necessary, according to Mr. Burner. “We’ll write the official revocation notice and the revocation will be authorized by the Commissioner, Dr. C.M.G. Buttery. It’s an administrative formality.”

And if Dr. Williams doesn’t want his permit revoked?

See WILLIAMS, p. 11