[caption id="attachment_180182" align="aligncenter" width="435"] Little Falls Water Treatment Facility in Stafford County [Photo: Stafford County Government][/caption]

Stafford County has agreed to sell nutrient credits to Fredericksburg in a deal that will gain the county $5,000 to $6,000 a year, over the next five years.

The agreement between the two localities will allow Fredericksburg to purchase 1,000 pounds of nitrogen credits and 200 pounds of phosphorus credits each year for the next five years. Stafford County is expected to receive the total revenue from these annual payments is estimated to be $25,000.

Fredericksburg would also reimburse Stafford County for the legal fees incurred for preparing the agreement.

The credits would allow Fredericksburg to meet short-term obligations with its water permits and offset nitrogen and phosphorus reductions under the city's Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Permit.

According to information provided by Stafford County, Fredericksburg is not expected to meet its reduction requirements through 2028 due to changes in Virginia regulations and would be in violation of those regulations without purchasing the credits necessary to make up the difference.

The credits will be transferred from the Little Falls Run Wastewater Treatment Plant to Fredericksburg. The plant is owned by Stafford County and is located at 952 Kings Highway in Falmouth.

Stafford County is allowed to sell unused nutrient portions through the Nutrient Credit Exchange to other members of the Rappahannock watershed under the Rappahannock River Water Quality Agreement for the Chesapeake Bay.

The plant is located along the banks of the Little Falls Run tributary, which runs into the Rappahannock River and into the Chesapeake Bay.

According to its website, the Virginia Nutrient Credit Exchange was established in 2005 to help coordinate and facilitate such exchanges among its members to help improve water quality efficiently and cost-effectively. Currently, the exchange includes 73 owners of 105 treatment facilities that clean wastewater in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus.

Potomac Local News first reported on the pending agreement back in July 2022 when it was brought up during a meeting of the Stafford County Infrastructure Committee. Members of the committee were informed that the deal would not affect the county's own permit obligations since the Little Falls Run plant has consistently produced excess nutrient credits.