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Town staff: Middleburg well levels require close watch; voluntary conservation remains in effect
Summary
Public works reported continued low groundwater levels, a new dewatering system at the wastewater plant and equipment upgrades; staff recommended keeping voluntary conservation in place while monitoring Well 4 closely.
Town water and wastewater staff reported lower-than-usual groundwater levels and described operational changes and equipment upgrades during a monthly systems briefing Monday.
Vince (last name not specified), the town’s utilities staff member, told council the wastewater treatment plant averaged about 83,000 gallons per day in discharge during the month and the water system averaged about 123,000 gallons per day in production. He said the plant began using a dewatering system for digesters in August, a change expected to reduce pump-and-haul costs for sludge.
Vince also described several equipment replacements and upgrades (a flow meter and variable frequency drive for a nitrate/nitrite recycle pump, and a controller replacement for an older generator automatic transfer switch). Fire-marshal inspections identified mostly minor issues; staff reported most corrections have been completed.
On well levels, staff flagged Well 4 as showing concerning trends late in the month. Vince said the transducer currently sits well above the pump and the town is working with Valley Automation to place an additional transducer nearer pump level to get more accurate data. Well L was showing continued decline while Well P was stable and healthy.
Town Manager Danny Davis and council members discussed regional coordination. A council member suggested outreach to other towns and homeowners associations that also draw from the Marshall aquifer to compare monitoring practices. Vince and staff said Northern Virginia’s regional water planning process (a multiyear planning effort by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission) also covers broader water-resource questions that include wells.
Given current readings, staff recommended keeping the town’s voluntary water-conservation status in place and monitoring conditions closely; they said they will report updates to council regularly and stand ready to recommend mandatory conservation if conditions worsen.
