After the well-publicized departure of its previous Service Authority general manager, the county brought in Dan Hingley, who works for Aqua Virginia, a company that operates and services community water supplies.
County officials were elated that by August, state Department of Environmental Quality officials announced they were stepping back from the intense oversight they had engaged in for more than two years.
Now, the long-awaited turning of the page on past indiscretions appears to have taken place, though corrective measures are only beginning and the jury is still out on the quality of the water at the tap.
At a recent Service Authority board of directors meeting, a water customer brought in a nasty-looking water filter, one that he is instructed to change semi-annually, but changes monthly because it is necessary.
Despite the current confidence that water quality will soon improve, there is a reputation that will take time to clean up as well.
He’s already doing that by reining in the overuse of chemicals and seeking out serviceable used replacement parts rather than buying pricey new ones.
Hingley recently informed the Service Authority board that in 2017 alone, the county lost an estimated 76 million gallons of treated water due to broken water mains and leaky pipes.
Are leaky old septic tanks near the shoreline to blame?
Or is the problem something else entirely?
If there is a water-related problem, King George seems to have it—and all the while taking criticism for it.