“We’re trying to be awfully proactive if the worst happens,” says Town Manager Davis

By Sophia Clifton

On May 20, the Town of Middleburg held an hour-long public meeting to walk residents through the town’s water system, explain why conservation has become critical, and solicit feedback on proposed conservation measures. Town Manager Danny Davis and Town Mayor Trowbridge “Bridge” Littleton led the presentation, with residents later sharing questions and concerns. 

Davis opened by emphasizing that “no decisions have been made” and that this meeting was intended to allow a more detailed, interactive conversation than a regular council meeting’s public comment period. 

He noted that Middleburg serves about 700 residents with five groundwater wells, and that the town has not previously faced such a significant conservation challenge: “This is really, really important stuff. This is a challenge the town hasn’t really had to address before, given capacity, given drought … so we’re trying to be awfully proactive if the worst happens.”

Middleburg’s water supply relies exclusively on groundwater drawn from five wells permitted by the Virginia Department of Health. Of these wells, three are equipped with filtration systems to ensure water quality, while the remaining two rely solely on chlorination. Once treated, water is stored in four reservoirs with a combined capacity exceeding 600,000 gallons—enough to buffer short-term operational hiccups and maintenance shutdowns.

Despite these resources, the system faces challenges. Some water mains and pumping equipment date back several decades, increasing the risk of breaks and service disruptions. Each well’s pumping capacity is capped by regulatory permits and the actual yield of the local aquifer. As Littleton emphasized, “Every new development and private well drilled in our region draws from this same aquifer.”

The town is actively evaluating whether to rehabilitate existing wells, drill additional sources, or invest in alternative water supplies. Davis noted that capital improvement projects—particularly those addressing mains and storage—are being prioritized to maintain system reliability.

With groundwater recharge lagging behind withdrawals, even a single dry season could force Middleburg to impose mandatory restrictions. Littleton warned, “If current drought trends continue, we may confront supply shortages despite our wells’ permitted capacities.”

As Davis noted, “We don’t just sit back and say, ‘Oh, we have five wells; we’re done.’ We have to always be looking at the capacity side—rehabilitate a well, examine new sources, or tweak treatment processes. Even if we had 12 wells, we’re still subject to drought and groundwater dropping. We want the right tools in place for restrictions or dire situations, but also we keep planning for future capacity offline.”

Littleton then took over to present data showing Loudoun County’s worsening drought and development pressures. The Lower Goose Creek Watershed—where Middleburg sits—has suffered below-average rainfall for years.

“Of the 131 years of rain data that’s been collected, this April was the 32nd driest that we’ve seen. But this is the one that’s even more alarming: From January to the end of April, it is the driest first quarter period we’ve had in recorded history in Loudoun County,” Littleton noted.

A 12-month running average is approximately 30 inches—25% below the historic 40-inch mean needed to keep the aquifer stable. “For the last five years running, that aquifer has not been able to maintain steady state,” he explained.

Private well installations in western Loudoun jumped 50% from 2010 to 2020 (from 11,500 to over 17,000 wells). “Think of Loudoun County as a glass of water. The glass never gets any bigger. But every new development we put in in Western Loudoun, there’s a new straw that goes into the cup trying to drink the water.” Littleton said.

Littleton illustrated how well levels dropped dramatically during the 2024 heat and dry spells: “Well L and Well 4 both dropped to around 10 feet from the pump—just 10 feet from being bone dry.” He continued, “We literally lost 150 feet. And that’s the thing, it’s about the ground, as Danny said, we survive on groundwater. So when there’s no rain, there’s no groundwater going into the aquifer to recharge and fill that water column back up.”

“If you think about it, we want to make sure everybody can shower, you can drink, you can cook. Those are the necessities of life. And so those are the things that we’ve got to make sure we protect first and foremost,” he said.

After Littleton’s presentation, Davis outlined a three-tiered approach to conservation: voluntary measures, mandatory restrictions, and emergency water rationing. 

Voluntary measures include reducing outdoor water use by limiting lawn watering and delaying power washing, and also include household recycling, like using rain barrels and greywater for irrigation. “We’re exploring ways for residents to buy rain barrels at a discounted rate,” Davis noted. Indoor practices such as fixing leaks and installing low-flow fixtures are the final stage. “This stage is strictly voluntary; it’s to show conservation is important,” he said.

The next tier, mandatory restrictions, prohibits sprinkler systems, allows timed hand-watering only, and bans pool top-offs or other non-essential outdoor use like filling ponds and fountains. “Automatic irrigation uses 1,000–2,000 gallons a day per household. We cannot allow that in a serious shortage,” Davis warned. He explained that instead, residents can use a handheld hose or watering can between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. to minimize evaporation. He also emphasized that, in past conservation efforts, “limiting irrigation alone stabilized our demand—wells could recharge, and capacity improved.”

The final, and most severe conservation tier, was emergency water rationing. These rations would institute a residential cap at 150 gallons per person per day (equivalent to 9,000 gallons over a 60-day billing cycle). “Currently, 83–84% of customers average below 150 gallons/day,” Davis noted. Additionally, all nonessential commercial users must cut consumption by at least 10%. “Heavy users can save significant amounts by reducing slightly,” Davis explained.

Any usage above the cap would incur a surcharge—“not to penalize, but to disincentivize overuse during an emergency,” he said. In such a rationing scenario, Davis said, the town would read meters three times weekly to provide near-real-time usage data. “We don’t want customers finding out two months later that they blew past their cap.”

During last year’s drought (July 2024), before restrictions, only 75% of customers used under 150 gallons/day. After restrictions in September 2024, that number rose to 84%. “Water conservation measures resulted in a 25% decrease in consumption,” Davis said.

Currently, meters are read every two months. Under rationing, staff aim to read weekly. When residents notice unusual spikes or suspect leaks, Davis encouraged them to call the utility office immediately: “The meters store 30–40 days of hourly data. If you call us right away, we can download that and identify if a toilet flapper or water softener ran nonstop.” 

Upon hearing about a resident’s example of a faulty data entry that showed 36,000 gallons used in January–February—when actual use was closer to 1,600 gallons — Davis acknowledged “that was a multiplier error. We’ve since verified all new meter installations to prevent recurrence.”

Multiple mains dating to the 1950s have broken repeatedly. A resident recalled a break on Chestnut Street that “leaked for days because of a holiday and nobody noticed,” leading to thousands of gallons lost.

Davis confirmed that the Capital Improvement Program allocates funds to replace high-break segments (e.g., Chestnut and Stonewall). He explained, “Replacing a couple of miles of old mains could cost $500,000 to $1 million—water lines are pressurized, so repairs are more complex than sewer relining.”

Several residents raised specific concerns. One homeowner asked whether well levels in Middleburg affect private wells on adjacent properties. Littleton clarified that while Middleburg’s five wells tap the same regional aquifer, “your well might not directly interact with all five town wells—but you do share the general groundwater under Western Loudoun.”

A resident with a large household asked, “How do you account for variable household sizes? A family of seven uses more water than a single person.” Davis agreed, “We need an objective standard that’s fair. If the county average is three people per home, 150 gallons may work for most—but families of five or more may need a slightly higher cap. We’re still finalizing that.”

One homeowner described a week-long leak that ran undetected in a basement. Davis apologized: “Reading meters weekly is our goal, but staffing limits prevent daily reads. If you receive an unexpectedly high bill, please call us immediately. We’ll download hourly data and help you get a leak adjustment if you repaired the problem promptly.”

When asked why Loudoun Water can expand capacity while Middleburg can’t, Davis explained that “drilling a new production well with treatment facilities can cost several million dollars. For now, we’re rehabilitating existing wells—Well 4 will be deepened by 150 feet, and Well 2 will be refurbished this year.”

A public hearing on the draft ordinance was scheduled for May 22, 2025, at 6 p.m.—two days after the community meeting. “Anything you say there is on the public record, and Town Council will consider it,” Davis said.

Following the hearing, staff will compile feedback with the utility committee and source water team, revise the draft, and present the final ordinance for potential adoption on June 12.

Davis stressed urgency before he concluded: “We’re approaching summer; if conservation measures are needed, we must have them in place sooner rather than later … Our goal isn’t to ration water for its own sake, but to ensure we can supply every customer with safe, reliable water—today and long into the future.”