Middleburg declares voluntary water-conservation measures after steep Well 4 drops

The Middleburg Town Council voted to declare voluntary water-conservation measures in effect for users of the town municipal water supply effective Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, asking residents and businesses to reduce nonessential use.

Town staff told council that Well 4 water levels have recently dropped far more during pumping than historical readings, prompting the measure. "We're seeing some decrease in the levels of Well 4 that we have not seen before, specifically when the well is running, losing, dropping the water level dropping anywhere from a 120 to almost 200 or 220 feet," said Mister Dix, the staff presenter for the water item, during the discussion.

Council leaders and staff said the measure is voluntary and intended to extend the town's supply while staff gather more data. "My recommendation to you this evening would be to have council, endorse and approve going into voluntary water conservation measures," Mister Dix told council. He emphasized that Well 3 remains a reliable backup and that staff are monitoring the system closely.

Why it matters: staff reported that pumping has, at times, lowered the water column to roughly 440 feet, approaching the pump level at 493 feet. That change is significantly larger than the 30–40-foot drops previously observed, according to the memo and staff remarks, and prompted council to seek immediate community cooperation while engineers gather more trend data.

Council discussion and staff notes focused on short-term steps and communications rather than immediate restrictions. Staff said they will encourage residents and businesses to limit irrigation (for example, watering during cooler hours), and to adopt other best practices. Staff plan to use the town newsletter, a news flash and social media for outreach and asked council members to help spread the message through neighborhood and business contacts.

Staff also described related technical and regulatory matters. The town is pursuing a variable-frequency drive (VFD) for Well 3 to extend its longevity; staff said the Virginia Department of Health has allowed continued use of Well 3 as a backup despite a small initial PFAS detection, and that PFAS rules set multi-year regulatory timetables. "VDH has allowed us, at this point to continue using Well 3 as as a backup well, even with the little bit of PFAS that's been initially identified in Well 3," Mister Dix said.

Staff flagged additional community outreach steps: working with Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District on a rain-barrel bulk purchase and a discounted community sale; targeted outreach to large local irrigators including Salamander and Red Fox about using nonpotable trucked water for landscape irrigation; and preparing short informational videos in addition to written notices.

Council approved the voluntary measures by voice vote; staff said they will continue to track well levels and will bring back recommendations about whether mandatory conservation steps are needed.

The council and staff said the voluntary declaration is a precautionary step while they gather more data and pursue operational fixes where possible.