RSA tells Lake of the Woods town hall pump failure likely caused odor; VDH issues notice of alleged violation

The Orange County Board of Supervisors met at the Lake of the Woods clubhouse for a public town hall where Rapidan Service Authority General Manager Tim Clemons said electrical faults and a pump failure in August likely released 2–3 gallons of food‑grade mineral oil into the raw water supply, producing the widely reported taste and odor complaints. Clemons said independent and state laboratory tests showed finished water met federal and state drinking‑water standards and that investigators found no confirmed cases of illness linked to the event.

Why it matters: Residents in Lake of the Woods and eastern Orange County endured days of advisories, bottled‑water distributions and worry about their tap water. The incident exposed gaps in construction oversight, emergency communications and asset management, and prompted a formal regulatory response from state health officials.

What RSA said: Clemons told attendees that temporary wiring installed during ongoing electrical upgrades at the Rapidan River raw‑water intake led to repeated pump faults and ultimately a catastrophic failure of pump No. 3. Heating of mineral…