Boaters Beware! Zero Tolerance on Lake Manassas

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Release: Manassas City Police Department

The Manassas City Police Department reminds residents that while using Lake Manassas for recreational purposes is tempting, the lake is not open to the public. The department will have extra patrols on duty all season long to ensure that no one trespasses on the lake.

Lake Manassas, a 770-acre body of water just south of Gainesville, is the primary source of drinking water for the City of Manassas as well as surrounding jurisdictions. When full, the reservoir holds approximately 5.1 billion gallons of water.

Water from Lake Manassas is treated at the city’s water treatment plant, which can treat up to 14 million gallons a day.

While the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has always regulated activities that can occur on and around drinking facilities such as Lake Manassas, the City of Manassas closed the lake entirely to the public in 2004, following concerns that surfaced about homeland security and an influx of invasive species.

Nowadays, the lake remains closed for additional reasons, such as the inability of the city to monitor the lake for the safety of those on it.

So boaters, beware! The Police Department has a “zero tolerance” policy in place for intruders caught on the lake, and will have increased patrols on and around the water at varying times throughout the day and night to enforce the restrictions.

Police urge those looking for a lake to enjoy to find an alternative where their safety on the water is monitored and maintained by lifeguards or other onlookers.