Virginia State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City) told the News-Press in exclusive remarks today that he will be carrying a bill in Richmond next month at the request of the Town of Vienna that would block any moves by Fairfax County to grab control of all water services in the county. “It is a bill that would also benefit Falls Church,” Petersen said, although he said he hasn’t yet been in touch with anyone from Falls Church.

Peterson said that “it can’t be legal” for the county to usurp the operations and control the pricing of water providers from other jurisdictions, even if they have historically had customers in Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Board will consider passing an ordinance that would claim to do just that on Tuesday. In addition to the City of Falls Church, which has over 90,000 water customers in Fairfax County, Vienna and the City of Fairfax also provide water services in the county.

Petersen said he’s prepared “for everyone in the county to come down on me like a ton of bricks,” but that he feels he is on the right side of the issue.

Petersen made his comments this morning at the opening of the Obama re-election campaign Northern Virgina regional headquarters in the City of Fairfax.