Mandatory Water Restrictions Lifted; LCSA Customers Asked to Conserve Water Voluntarily

Leesburg – The Loudoun County Sanitation Authority (LCSA) is pleased to announce that the County Administrator has lifted the Mandatory Restrictions, and downgraded to a Water Supply Alert Stage, effective immediately. There are no formal water restrictions in place under the Alert Stage, however, LCSA’s Central System Customers are asked to continue to voluntarily use water wisely.

LCSA requested that the CountyAdministrator remove the restrictions in light of recent rains that have bolstered the flow in Goose Creek to more than 300 million gallons per day over the weekend. As of today, Goose is flowing at just under 200 million gallons per day, about 50 million gallons per day below its average flow. Two pumps are operating within Goose Creek to refill Beaverdam Reservoir. As of Friday, March 7, the refill operation, along with the rain, had enabled the Reservoir to gain back more than 473 million gallons since its lowest level in late October, bringing it to just shy of 50% full.

In addition to the improved supply situation, customer demand for water has been consistent at around 16 million gallons per day. In March and April, demand typically remains below 22 million gallons per day. LCSA is able to meet that demand operationally, without any restrictions, but cautions customers that if we do not have rain on a regular basis, and/or if customer demand for water spikes beyond 22 million gallons per day for an extended period, there will be a need to return to water restrictions later.

Customers can prevent the imposition of Mandatory Water Restrictions by limiting outdoor water use to two days per week, preferably one weekday and one weekend day. LCSA recommends the following schedule for its Central System Customers: Odd-address homes use water outside on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Even-address homes use water outside on Thursdays and Sundays. Non-residential customers use water outside on Wednesdays and Fridays. On this schedule, no one would use water outside on Mondays, and the system would have a day off to replenish its elevated storage tanks. This schedule has been proven to balance the needs of the water utilities and the desires of their customers in jurisdictions in the South and West, and LCSA is confident it can be a successful compromise here, too.

We’re grateful for everyone’s widespread and continued commitment to using each drop wisely, and we continue to encourage customers to send us questions, thoughts and ideas, by emailing to drought@lcsa.org. More water-saving tips at www.lcsa.org.


Click here to view all Loudoun Water news.