PUBLIC NOTICE (November 4, 2024): Round Hill Remains Under Voluntary Water Conservation
The Round Hill Water Department is reminding residents to conserve water. This does not mean extreme water conservation – just to be mindful in their use of water and conserve when they are able to do so.
The region has not seen rainfall since October 3rd following a dry summer. As a result, Round Hill remains in a Moderate Drought.
The Round Hill Water System has been under Voluntary Water Conservation since Sept 18th.
During Voluntary Water Conservation all customers of the Town's water system are requested to conserve wherever and whenever possible in their normal consumption of water and to refrain from watering lawns and gardens, washing vehicles, filling swimming pools, and like activities.
At this time, residents should not be using irrigation systems – which could 1,000 gallons or more per day for some homeowners – which is the equivalent of 4 days of water use for a typical family.
The Round Hill Finance Department will be reviewing the billing consumption data to look for evidence of continuous use or high use, then they will notify residents to check for leaking toilets, faucets, water heaters or water softeners, etc. (A leaking water heater could use 17,000 gallons in 4 days!).
The Round Hill Water System provides water to over 4,000 residents using a system of 12 wells. Without rain, the wells struggle to recharge. The Town needs residents to keep their usage down to regular usage (150 to 250 gallons per day for some homes, while others use less) to give the wells time to recover. According to DEQ – the region's Groundwater Levels are at Warning Levels (because without rain the aquifers have not recovered from the summer).
Keep in mind - it was one year ago that the Town was facing another historic drought going into the holiday season.
The Round Hill Utility Department will continue to work closely with residents to find leaks (and to remind them to conserve water) to keep the area under Voluntary Conservation as long as possible, and not have to move to Mandatory Conservation.
Thank you for your help!
PUBLIC NOTICE (September 18, 2024): Town Council Lifts Mandatory Water Conservation, Moves to Voluntary.
At the meeting on September 18, the Town Council reviewed the well data, drought status, and recommendations from Town staff. While Loudoun County is still under a Drought Watch and the Round Hill groundwater levels remain low, the Town Council recognized that utility customers have done an excellent job of reducing consumption which in turn allowed the wells to keep up with demand during the worst of the drought.
The Town Council voted to lift the Mandatory Water Conservation Declaration and move to a Voluntary Water Conservation.
What does this Mean for You?
This fall, the Town Council is asking customers to be mindful of their water usage. Customers can move forward with fall outdoor projects as needed (limited power washing, lawn care, washing cars, and other short term uses) but keep in mind the area is still under a Moderate Drought. Please do not use water for long periods of time (such as using irrigation systems). Town Staff will continue to send out notices to customers of High Use and Continuous Use to help educate people about their water consumption during a drought.
Please keep in mind, if the region moves to Severe Drought again in the upcoming months, the Town will need to consider a return to Mandatory Water Conservation.
PUBLIC NOTICE (Updated August 12, 2024): Mandatory Water Conservation Remains in Effect Until Further Notice.
Despite the much-needed rain received last week, the Round Hill Utility System remains under Mandatory Water Conservation status while the Town evaluates the recovery/recharge rate of our 12 wells and the surrounding groundwater system. Part of the data will include any reports from the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, which will be meeting later this week.
Please keep in mind that the well depth is 500+ feet and it can take weeks/months for groundwater to reach that depth.
The Town Council will be re-evaluating water conservation measures at the September 3rd Council Meeting.
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On July 17, 2024 - the Mayor & Town Council of Round Hill declared Mandatory Water Conservation Phase One effective July 19, 2024. According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Loudoun County is currently under a Severe to Extreme Drought and the Groundwater System is under Emergency Status.
The Mayor & Town Council are taking this proactive approach to ensure the system of 12 wells can keep up with customer demand under the current drought conditions during the peak of summer. The wells need to have the ability to simultaneously produce water and rest/recharge as needed.
Under this status - it shall be unlawful for any person to use water from the Town's water system for the purpose of watering lawns, washing cars, filling swimming pools, and like activities. Any person or customer found conducting any of these prohibited uses shall be subject to a fine; not to exceed five- hundred ($500) dollars for each violation.
Please note the following:
1. The Town will be contacting excessive use customers and ask them to reduce their outdoor water use. (An excessive use customer is someone using 500 to 1,000 gallons or more per day).
2. The Town recognizes that some customers are maintaining vegetable gardens. Please hand water vegetable gardens. Do not use sprinklers to water vegetable gardens.
3. Do not install sod or plant grass seed while under Mandatory Water Conservation. Please wait until after Mandatory Water Conservation has ended to install these types of landscaping which require heavy watering.
4. The Utility Staff will also be monitoring the system for leaks and unexplained water loss, as well as close tracking of the overall health of the system using advanced SCADA and Meter Systems.
5. The Town’s hydrologist Emery & Garrett is monitoring Round Hill’s groundwater and production wells, to advise the Town Council and Town Staff.
The Town Council will revisit the Mandatory Water Conservation Phase One Status at their regular meeting on September 4, 2024
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