Attend a holiday-themed open house at the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant in Lorton on Saturday, December 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

With facility tours and hands-on family activities planned, the Open House will be a rare opportunity for Fairfax County residents to see the vast, intricate operations and infrastructure of the plant that are typically not open to the public.

* WHERE: Noman M. Cole Jr. Pollution Control Plant, 9399 Richmond Hwy., Lorton, VA 22079

* WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

* PARKING: Enter the open gate, where staff will direct visitors to available parking at the plant or a nearby overflow lot with shuttle service.

Operated by the Wastewater Management Division of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, the plant runs all day and night, 365 days a year to intake the county’s wastewater and transform it into sparkling clean water that is returned to Gunston Cove and flows into the Potomac River.

While wastewater may be considered “out of sight, out of mind” for most people, the hard work of cleaning from an average of 40 million gallons up to 67 million gallons of wastewater every day is the top priority for the 160 talented professionals employed at the plant, whose efforts in managing the massive facility result in safe water for public health and the environment. The campus also has a thriving ecosystem of birds and other wildlife.

“Our facility tours will show guests the depth of our tanks, our complicated infrastructure, our dependence on microorganisms, our massive machinery, the pipes and tunnels, our round-the-clock sample testing and inspections, and more,” said Outreach Manager Lisa Good, Fairfax County Wastewater Management. “We hope that when guests see how hard it is to clean the water, they will feel inspired to go home and be extra careful about not flushing wipes, medicines, fats, oils and grease down their pipes,” Good said.

• Plant tours* at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; 

• Tunnel tours* every half hour

• Ongoing activities for family members during tours.

• Touch-A-Truck: Come see and sit in the coolest trucks!

• Closed-Circuit TV Robot: Try your hand at operating our robot!

• Job Info: HR staff will be on hand to discuss career opportunities at the plant, including engineers, electricians, mechanics, office staff, heavy equipment operators, and more.

• Refreshments: Festive, holiday-themed refreshments will be provided