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Middleburg council hears updated drought analysis as staff adds variable-speed well controls
Summary
Town staff reported continued rainfall deficits and described steps — including a variable frequency drive on Well 3, supplemental pumping from the Stonewall plant and a deeper transducer on Well 4 — intended to reduce turbidity and protect storage while avoiding mandatory conservation so far.
Middleburg town staff told the Town Council on Oct. 11 that the town remains below normal rainfall levels and has taken operational steps to preserve groundwater while avoiding formal mandatory restrictions for now.
"We continue to lag behind our annual rainfall averages by about 8 inches, for the year to date and cumulative since 01/01/2024 by 16 and a half inches," Town Manager Danny Davis said during the council's well-level and drought discussion. He added that Northern Virginia drought monitoring places Loudoun County in a drought-watch status.
The town has been adjusting operations to reduce strain on its most stressed assets. Staff installed a variable frequency drive (VFD) on Well 3 to allow more measured pumping rates and reduce turbidity (discolored water caused by iron and manganese), Davis said. The town is supplementing production from the Stonewall plant on the low-pressure side of the system to lower draw on Well 4, and crews are avoiding nonessential activities — such as routine main flushing — that would use large volumes of water while wells remain depleted.
Davis said the town is also installing a deeper transducer on Well 4 "probably around 475 feet" so staff can see more accurate drawdown data instead of relying on the current 295-foot limit. "So we'll be able to see actual true data about how far we're drawing down Well 4," he said.
Council members pushed back on tone and language. "You said there's no cause for concern. There's great cause for concern. We're in a drought," council member Bud Jacobs said, asking staff to use careful language in public remarks about water security and the long-term outlook. Jacobs noted Loudoun County reporting that highlighted groundwater risks for jurisdictions relying on wells.
Staff acknowledged the countywide nature of the issue and said they have coordinated informally with neighboring towns dependent on wells. Davis said the town has discussed measures such as rainwater-harvesting programs and is waiting on the Soil and Water Conservation District for participation in a discounted rain-barrel program.
For now, Davis said, "right now, everything's running okay and no causes for concern or need to go into any additional steps of conservation," while acknowledging the situation could change quickly if precipitation does not improve.
The council requested continued, regular updates. Staff said it will monitor production and water-quality indicators meeting by meeting and report back on metrics, including the new transducer data and any operational changes.
Ending: The council did not adopt new mandatory conservation measures at the Oct. 11 session but asked staff for more frequent updates and to coordinate with neighboring towns and the county on longer-term planning.
