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 oil from that failure, Clemons said, likely produced the odor that customers described as petroleum or kerosene. "We do respect and fully comply with the health department's notice of alleged violation, and we have already met with and will be meeting with BDH on a routine basis," Clemons said.

Clemons outlined immediate and longer‑term steps: complete Phase 1B of the intake upgrades (scheduled in the first quarter of 2025), increase on‑site construction inspection, revise operator procedures so staff inspect raw water before activating a replacement pump, expand flushing and hydrant work, and pursue capital improvements such as granular activated carbon filtration intended both to reduce disinfection byproducts and to improve taste and odor control.

Regulatory action: The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued a final report and on Sept. 25 sent RSA a notice of alleged violation that listed seven categories of corrective actions and gave RSA 60 days to submit a comprehensive response. The notice asks RSA to identify causal contributing factors, amend operating policies to routinely monitor raw‑water quality and odor, strengthen construction inspection, and produce an effective emergency response and asset‑management plan.

Resident concerns: Dozens of Lake of the Woods residents pressed RSA and county officials on monitoring, contractor liability, funding and transparency. Dave Davies, a resident, criticized the structure of RSA governance and urged the supervisors to recuse themselves from RSA appointments or to expand RSA membership to include residents from Lake of the Woods. "I'm calling for the supervisors to recuse themselves from the RSA board and appoint representatives of Eastern Orange County to replace them," Davies said during public comment.

Elected officials and questions: Delegate Philip Scott asked why pump failures were not reported early in the investigation. Clemons answered that pump failures are not uncommon and that the link to the odor was not initially recognized; he said the failures were reported to the health department several days later and that RSA would revise investigative protocols going forward. Several residents and one engineer urged RSA to adopt more continuous electronic monitoring (SCADA/data logging) for critical pumps; RSA said that level of monitoring for submersible pumps is not typical for utilities of its size but that temporary logging and system upgrades are in progress.

Costs and next steps: County staff and supervisors framed the event as accelerating longer‑term planning. In board remarks toward the meeting's end, a speaker estimated a long‑term replacement and upgrade program could total about $47 million over several years and said the county is pursuing funding options. RSA said its primary revenue source is customer rates and that some capital improvements ultimately will require customer funding or outside financing; RSA has sought grants but said prior applications were turned down due to median‑income thresholds.

What comes next: RSA says it has already submitted a response to the Office of Drinking Water as required and will continue regular sampling, additional inspections, public meetings and improved communications. Supervisors and RSA leadership pledged to hold more public briefings and to work with state partners on corrective actions and long‑term water‑supply planning.