Community Systems Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Community Systems and the Central System?

Community Systems are defined as self-sustaining water and/or wastewater systems serving 10 or more customers. The County's Comprehensive General Plan says that Hamlet and Village Communities built in the Rural Policy Area are served by Community Systems whose water source is groundwater supplied through a shared community well. Wastewater is treated to high degree at a packaged wastewater gtreatement plant located within the community, and either returned to a surface stream or directly into the ground. Loudoun Water's Central System is the water and wasetwater system that serves the Suburban Policy Area. The water source is the Potomac River and wastewater is either conveyed to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C., or it is conveyed to Loudoun Water's own Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility in Ashburn. The Central System is not interconnected with the Community Systems. So each group has their own system and their own rates, which are set to support their system.

Why are you modifying the rate structure for Community Systems and not the Central System?

We intend to change the Central System rate structure, too, eventually, however, we need the conservation behavior more urgently in the Community Systems than in the Central System. Plus, the Community Systems provides an ideal opportunity to pilot test the effects of a conservation rate structure on actual behavior. 

Why are you asking for more dramatic reductions in demand (greater water conservation) in Community Systems than you are in the Central System? Shouldn’t everyone conserve?

Loudoun Water encourages water conservation by all of its customers. In the Central System, the focus of conservation efforts is on a reduction of peaks and max days and minimizing water waste. In the Community Systems, the focus is on overall daily demand reductions due to the more limited nature of the ground water supply.

How are our rates determined? Where does our money go – how is it allocated?

Please see the Rate Methodology.

How do you determine whether our rates are fair and reasonable?

Our test to see whether your rates are fair and reasonable is to make comparisons of your average costs with those of similar communities. Rates are a function of cost of service, which is dependent on number of connections. Loudoun Water compares your system to Town systems of a couple of hundred customers in Western Loudoun. Under the current structure, your average annual bill is competitive with all of Western Loudoun's rates. A slide within the presentation link above has a graph showing this. 

Under what legal authority can Loudoun Water set and change rates?

The Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Act grants Loudoun Water the ability to set and change rates as needed.

Why can’t we connect to your Central System?

The County's Comprehensive General Plan does not allow central service into the Rural Policy Area. To get this changed would require a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM).  

How is our Sustainable Yield determined?

Sustainable yield is determined by a variety of factors, which include precipitation rate and recharge rate at the local area, and it also takes into account the well yield tests completed during the permitting phase of the system.

How is our Permitted Capacity determined?

Permitted capacity is also based on a number of factors, including sustainable yield, pipe/pump size and storage capacity.

Could we use effluent (treated wastewater) from our wastewater plant to water our lawns?

In theory, yes, you could. The limiting factor here is volume. Your wastewater plants do not generate enough volume of water to irrigate your lawns.

What is your observed average household water use in Community Systems and your Central System? 

How do you know that a multi-tiered rate structure is effective in reducing demand? 

Multi-tiered rate structures are a proven, industry standard tool for effecting reductions in water use. One local example is the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), which serves suburban Maryland Counties. There are several cities and Counties in the West who implement them, inlcuding the Coachella Valley Water District.

If we’re exceeding permitted capacity, why don’t you place a moratorium on new construction within the community systems?

At this time, a moratorium may not be needed with the downturn in sales. Loudoun Water would prefer to work with System developers in a positive, partnership manner. 

If you knew we were not going to be able to have green lush lawns, why did you let the builder show a model with an irrigation system and a green lawn? 

At that time, we did not know as much about turf irrigation as we do now. We also did not anticipate the customer's expectation to water 3/4 of an acre or more. We had thought that the "smart" systems on the market at that time would be effective in delivering a small, sustainable volume of water.

If a developer presented a new community to you today, what would you do differently?

If we had the power, we would require all developers to submit a water budget as part of their permitting documents. We have made this recommendation to Loudoun County Planning Department.

What can we do to protect investments in our landscaping?

We are very interested in working with residents to protect their landscape invetments, so long as they are compatible with the natural environment. We are curently exploring and actively promoting the tenets of xeriscape, which is a practice of landscaping that makes use of the natural environment, such as slope, shade, and native plantings, which keep maintenance down and sustainable.