Middleburg adopts mandatory water conservation measures

The Middleburg Town Council adopted mandatory water conservation measures at its July 11 meeting. These measures are due to the ongoing “drought warning” and “severe drought” as designated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (in coordination with USGS) and the U.S. Drought Monitor, respectively. Further, the Town’s drinking water wells have shown a decrease in water levels over the past 6 weeks, and no significant precipitation is expected for the foreseeable future.

The adopted water conservation measures are mandatory. Effective July 18, customers are prohibited
from using Town water outside of any structure.

Customers are not allowed to: use irrigation systems; water grass, gardens, or landscaping; fill swimming pools; wash cars; or any other use of water outside of a structure. Customers may use a handheld container to water outdoor plants.

Further, the Town has stopped providing Town water to outside contractors (landscape companies, site
development companies, etc.). No person or entity should be opening a fire hydrant except for the Town’s contracted water operator and the Fire Department.

These water conservation measures are in accordance with Town Code Section 113-8 and will be effective until rescinded by the Town Council.

In addition, we encourage customers to take these voluntary measures:

• Only wash full loads of clothes and only run the dishwasher when fully loaded
• Take showers as opposed to baths and limit your time in the shower
• Turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth
• Inform the Town immediately if you notice any water leaks
• For restaurants, only provide water if requested by a customer
• For hotels and inns, consider limiting the replacement of sheets and towels for customers staying multiple nights
• Inform the Town immediately if an unauthorized person is using a fire hydrant

More information is available at www.middleburgva.gov or by calling 540-687-5152.

The Town continues to invest in its water infrastructure to ensure the operational capacity and long-term viability of the water system. This includes recent repairs to the Well 4 Treatment Plant, the construction of a clearwell at the Well 4 Treatment Plant, video inspections of our wells for longevity, and the installation of transducers in all 5 wells to obtain real-time data of well levels.  The Town’s Utility Committee and Source Water Protection Team are instrumental in helping the Town achieve these goals.