You did a great job and it took a lot of determination and sweat. Thank you.
Counties are required to maintain master water and sewer plan(s), with accurate and up to date map(s) of the entire system(s). They may be available on-line but, in any case, they should be available to any citizen upon request per state FOI regs.
If the county workers put some of your determination and sweat to the task (their previous investigation), those maps could have led them to the cracked line. I suspect they’ll do a better job next time, and there will be a next time because all pipes fail eventually. Your determined effort, compared to their lacking stab at finding the source, should provide incentive going forward to raise their game.
Outstanding work. Thank you and Sarah for your vigilance and dedication. And thanks for the Fredericksburg Advance for creating the venue to share this important news.
It pains me to think that our regional utilities folks apparently feel they have no responsibility to proactively ensure that our regions creeks and waterways are not receiving sewage. In my mind, every creek and waterway should have active regular monitoring and the results need to be posted. It's not that accidents won't happen. THey do and it's inevitable and expected. But waiting until someone spots something is not really good stewardship of our waterways, for both humans and critters. We need to do better. Larry Gross
Thank you Jesse, for your persistence and environmental stewardship. and for sending an article into 'FXBG Advance' about what happened at Stafford's Accokeek Creek with the sewer line. So we residents also know. When I read that the Stafford Co employees were out there, I said to myself, 'please let them come through'. because there is growing concern that we don't have the same commitment to the job in the public/private workforce that we used to have, of pursuing the source of a problem/issue. Not just in this case, but in other fields too. I realize that Stafford Co Dept of Utilities, their Field Ops and Environmental team, Jon Brindle, Environmental Compliance manager (jbrindle@StaffordCountyVA.gov) may not have enough staff to be able to do the proper job. but more of us are and will be questioning any response from local government that blows off citizen input, as happened here.
Thank you for your stewardship and article. If I understand it correctly, since D.P. Newton and Glenn Trimmer died, the Stafford Civil War Park has been under the protective watch of Stafford Parks and Recreation. Last year, John Hennessy, retired National Park Service historian, told me he knows of no other existing supervisory group. If that is the case, I propose we re-establish one, (e.g.,"Friends of the Stafford Civil War Park") to help coordinate efforts to protect D.P.'s and Glenn's legacy. If you already know of individuals or a group who share this interest, please let me know. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
We're having Community Forum #2 tonight Wed July 29. 'Show Up, Speak Up Fredericksburg (area) - Are We the New DATA CENTER Alley?' Jeffrey Sim, Stafford mentioned the impact of the DATA CENTERS on Accokeek Creek at Community Forum #1 last week. It's in this Potomac Local News write-up, below.
Community Forum #2 is at the Downtown Fred library. 1201 Caroline St. 22401. big theater room. 6:30 - 7:45 PM. Panel presentation, discussion, Q/A. Open to the public. Hope you can come.
You did a great job and it took a lot of determination and sweat. Thank you.
Counties are required to maintain master water and sewer plan(s), with accurate and up to date map(s) of the entire system(s). They may be available on-line but, in any case, they should be available to any citizen upon request per state FOI regs.
If the county workers put some of your determination and sweat to the task (their previous investigation), those maps could have led them to the cracked line. I suspect they’ll do a better job next time, and there will be a next time because all pipes fail eventually. Your determined effort, compared to their lacking stab at finding the source, should provide incentive going forward to raise their game.
Outstanding work. Thank you and Sarah for your vigilance and dedication. And thanks for the Fredericksburg Advance for creating the venue to share this important news.
It pains me to think that our regional utilities folks apparently feel they have no responsibility to proactively ensure that our regions creeks and waterways are not receiving sewage. In my mind, every creek and waterway should have active regular monitoring and the results need to be posted. It's not that accidents won't happen. THey do and it's inevitable and expected. But waiting until someone spots something is not really good stewardship of our waterways, for both humans and critters. We need to do better. Larry Gross
Thank you Jesse, for your persistence and environmental stewardship. and for sending an article into 'FXBG Advance' about what happened at Stafford's Accokeek Creek with the sewer line. So we residents also know. When I read that the Stafford Co employees were out there, I said to myself, 'please let them come through'. because there is growing concern that we don't have the same commitment to the job in the public/private workforce that we used to have, of pursuing the source of a problem/issue. Not just in this case, but in other fields too. I realize that Stafford Co Dept of Utilities, their Field Ops and Environmental team, Jon Brindle, Environmental Compliance manager (jbrindle@StaffordCountyVA.gov) may not have enough staff to be able to do the proper job. but more of us are and will be questioning any response from local government that blows off citizen input, as happened here.
Well done. Sir. Thank you.
Dear Mr. Adams,
Thank you for your stewardship and article. If I understand it correctly, since D.P. Newton and Glenn Trimmer died, the Stafford Civil War Park has been under the protective watch of Stafford Parks and Recreation. Last year, John Hennessy, retired National Park Service historian, told me he knows of no other existing supervisory group. If that is the case, I propose we re-establish one, (e.g.,"Friends of the Stafford Civil War Park") to help coordinate efforts to protect D.P.'s and Glenn's legacy. If you already know of individuals or a group who share this interest, please let me know. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Robert Kravetz
31 Woodlawn Terrace
Fredericksburg, Va. 22405
540-371-1633
kravetz@aol.com
Thanks, Ms. Sargent. If you want to join the group, you'd be welcome. I think the park might do better with an organized group of citizens looking on.
Happy Wednesday.
RK
We're having Community Forum #2 tonight Wed July 29. 'Show Up, Speak Up Fredericksburg (area) - Are We the New DATA CENTER Alley?' Jeffrey Sim, Stafford mentioned the impact of the DATA CENTERS on Accokeek Creek at Community Forum #1 last week. It's in this Potomac Local News write-up, below.
Community Forum #2 is at the Downtown Fred library. 1201 Caroline St. 22401. big theater room. 6:30 - 7:45 PM. Panel presentation, discussion, Q/A. Open to the public. Hope you can come.
https://www.potomaclocal.com/2026/07/28/community-forum-recap-residents-raise-taxes-water-transparency-concerns-over-data-centers/
LOL
Jeffrrey Sim is AI for Jeff Eastland.
It was myself who made those remarks at Forum #1 last week.
Egads the technology is going to be the end of us I swear.
Regret I'm up to my ears in other projects, but thanks for the invite.