Accomack Administrator corrects Consultant’s Queen Sound Wastewater remark

Accomack County Administrator Mike Mason issued a correction following Wednesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting, saying Queen Sound has never been considered as a possible wastewater outfall location.

During the meeting, consultant Kimley-Horn presented an update on the county’s water and wastewater master planning work in northern Accomack County. The study area generally includes land near NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and Wallops Research Park, extending from Horntown south to John Taylor Road.

Mason said that the area remains tentative because the Board of Supervisors has not formally designated a water or sewer service area there.

During questions about possible wastewater treatment options, a consultant mentioned Queen Sound as a potential outfall location if the county were to build its own treatment plant or become involved in relocating NASA’s existing treated-wastewater outfall on Little Mosquito Creek.

Mason said that statement was inaccurate.

“Use of Queen Sound as a wastewater outfall now or in the future was never considered by any county official,” he said.

The county leases the Queen Sound property from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the lease restricts its use to recreation. Mason also noted that the property is located near valuable public shellfish beds.

Mason said Queen Sound had appeared on an earlier consultant map identifying county-related property and wastewater infrastructure in northern Accomack. He instructed the consultant to remove it because the site was not available for wastewater use.

According to Mason, the consultant misspoke while responding to questions during the public meeting. He said the county intends to continue using Queen Sound only for recreation.