HVAC troubles plague Prince William County’s $17 million animal shelter

Updated 7:30 a.m. Feb. 2,  2024 — Residents and officials in Prince William County are grappling with HVAC issues at the recently constructed $17 million Animal Shelter, which opened its doors a year and a half ago in November 2022.

An anonymous complaint prompted action from the Police Department, which raised concerns about unacceptable temperatures and humidity levels in various areas of the Animal Services Center.

The complaint, posted in the Eastern Prince William Chatter Facebook Group, states “The heating, cooling and ventilation system in the new animal shelter has not functioned properly since construction. The animals and staff have been suffering unnecessarily for over a year now. The leaders of the county’s facility services have been hiding this from the community because they don’t want to expose themselves to the Board of County Supervisors.”

The Facilities and Fleet Management (FFM) initiated an investigation, identifying problems with the Energy Recovery Unit (ERU) and facility humidifiers, County Executive Christopher Shorter explained to county supervisors in an email.

FFM took steps to return the ERU to service and activate the facility humidifiers. Adjustments to the Building Automation System (BAS) now allow remote temperature control. Despite these efforts, the county called on three contractors on January 19 to assess the BAS and propose necessary adjustments.

There is no estimated repair cost, and the timeline for resolving the issues remains uncertain. Shorter indicated his email to supervisors alterting supervisors to the HVAC issues was prompted by the social media post.

The $17 million animal shelter was intended to address the needs of the growing county, replacing the previous 45-year-old facility that opened in 1975. The project faced challenges, including redesigns and cost overruns, ultimately taking more than five years to complete. In 2017, the Board of County Supervisors prioritized the construction of the new facility.

None responded when we contacted all Prince William Board of County Supervisors members for a comment on his story.

The county’s Animal Services Center sits at 14807 Bristow Road near Manassas.

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