It is that time of year again, our Annual Flushing Program is underway! We always get a lot of questions around this time of year as to why we do this, so please follow the link to see what areas we are currently flushing in!

• Annual Hydrant Flushing Program

Smelling Extra Chlorine?

You may notice a more pronounced chlorine taste or odor in the water during springtime flushing. This is because our largest supplier, Fairfax Water, switches from chloramines to free chlorine as a disinfectant during flushing to optimize treatment. Free chlorine has a more noticeable chlorine taste and odor than chloramines. This will dissipate when water is left in an open container in the refrigerator. Letting water sit in a glass for a moment will also take care of air bubbles that are stirred up during flushing and cause the milky appearance.

Loudoun Water is unable to advise customers of the exact date the water mains serving a particular area will be flushed or whether water service in an area will be affected. If your service is currently affected, it should only be for a short period, usually no more than a couple of days. We regret any inconvenience flushing may cause.

Seeing Black Specks?

Perhaps the most common cause of black specks in tap water is from the deterioration of rubber materials used in plumbing fixtures. Gaskets and O-rings can degrade over time and the pieces can collect in toilet tanks and around faucets. Braided stainless-steel flex connections, toilet tank valves, and gaskets are common sources. If they are made of neoprenes, nitriles, isoprene and/or natural rubber materials they tend to degrade when in contact with the chlorine or chloramines in the tap water. Chloramines cause a more rapid breakdown with cracking and loss of elasticity and strength. You need to look for materials that are resistant to chloramines such as silicon-based rubber, synthetic polymers or fluorocarbon, or copper and nylon flex connections. The products should be labeled with explanations that they are more resistant to chlorine and chloramines.

If the specks can be smudged between your fingers, then it is likely a deteriorating rubber material. If it does not smudge easily between your fingers, then it is likely sediment or manganese. For sediment or manganese, flush the lines in your home and give us a call so we can flush the water distribution mains servicing your home to help clear the pipes. Newly constructed or renovated buildings can experience similar problems with particles. Sometimes plumbers disturb a plumbing system as they go about their work. Sometimes new systems need to be broken in. Flushing the system really well can be a remedy.

Air Bubbles

We are in the middle of our annual flushing program which consists of flowing water out of selected fire hydrants in order to remove accumulated sediment, improve water delivery and increase chlorine residuals in the water. The flushing is performed by drawing enough water through the mains at sufficient force and duration to flush out accumulated deposits of sediments. By use of valve closures, workers are able to isolate the main being flushed and direct the flow of water one way towards a fire hydrant. The main is then flushed by opening a hydrant at sufficient velocity to loosen and remove sediment, resulting in clean, clear water. The flushing program helps maintain flow capacity and water quality in the distribution system; remove impurities associated with new and repaired mains, and helps eliminate taste, odors and discoloration from the water. We also test and perform routine maintenance on valves and fire hydrants during the flushing operation.

Flushing may result in some temporary discoloration in the water, or air in the line, which is common during any interruption or disturbance in the distribution system. When air is present the water may appear cloudy but you will notice that the water will begin to rapidly clear from the bottom up when left standing in a clear glass. This will improve as you run the taps in your home to flush out your residential plumbing.

Fairfax Water, which supplies drinking water to Central System customers, primarily uses chloramines as a disinfectant in their distribution system. However, during the months of April-June, when annual flushing takes place, Fairfax Water uses free chlorine as the distribution system disinfectant. Compared to chlorine, chloramines do not taste or smell as strong. Chloramines also last longer and do not cause pipes to rust like bleach chlorine does. Both chlorine and chloramines will degrade elastomer materials (rubber materials) over time, however chloramines will typically degrade them at a faster rate than chlorine. Customers will periodically need to change their rubber gaskets in their homes, such as in the sinks, faucets and toilets. If you wish to reduce the chlorine flavor in your tap water, store tap water in a clean container in your refrigerator. Colder water has a less noticeable chlorine flavor.

We are also beginning our Annual Flushing program. Click here for more information.

To keep your faucets odor free, add cleaning your drains to your Spring Cleaning "to-do" list. Below are two examples of the types of water quality questions we receive:

Click here for a thorough list of Common Drinking Water Quality Questions.

As the weather turns colder, water expands as it freezes and this can put tremendous stress on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. Usually pipes that freeze are exposed to severe cold weather, like outdoor hose bibs, water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements, garages, or kitchen cabinets.   

Here are a few preventive measures that can help you when temperatures dip below freezing:

• Tightly close doors and windows to the outside.
• Insulate pipes and any drafty areas. Contact your local hardware store for proper materials. 
• Seal all leaks in crawl spaces and basements.
• Shut off and drain the pipes leading to your outside faucets so no water is left to freeze, expand and cause a leak in these lines.
• Close the inside valves and drain the pipes leading to your outside hose bib (faucet).
• Know where your main shut off valve is and label it. Minimize the potential for water damage by ensuring that everyone in the household knows how to shut off the water in case of an emergency.
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas. Hardware and plumbing supply stores carry insulation to keep pipes from freezing.

During significant cold snaps, follow these tips: 

• Open the cabinets beneath any place with a water supply, such as the kitchen and bathroom sinks. This will allow warm air to circulate. (Remove any toxic substances first if there are small children in the home.)
• To prevent your pipes from freezing, allow a faucet to drip cold water slowly. The faucet you choose should be the one that is the greatest distance from your main water shut off valve.
• If your pipes freeze, never thaw a pipe with an open flame. You can use a hair dryer on low or a portable heater, but avoid using electrical appliances if there is standing water. Use warm water to soak towels, then wrap the towels around the frozen pipes.

If you turn on a faucet and only have a trickle of water coming out or no water at all and it has been very cold for a period of time, suspect a frozen pipe or meter. Identify whether the problem is throughout the house or in one area.

If it’s only in one area of your household, you may be able to thaw the pipe by opening the cabinets and allowing the warmer air to circulate around the pipes. Always remove any toxic substances first if there are small children in the home. You could use a hair dryer on low or a portable heater, but avoid using electrical appliances if there is standing water.

If there is no water throughout your household or you think you may have a frozen pipe or meter and have determined that it is not within the home, please contact Loudoun Water Customer Service at 571.291.7880 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) or our After Hours emergency number at 571.291.7878.  In this situation, always contact Loudoun Water before contacting a plumber. In order to assist you, someone will need to be home. The Loudoun Water representative will check with you before leaving to ensure your water has been reinstated.

Visit our website and click on Plumbing and Pipes for more information.

Loudoun Water will be replacing existing water meters for all customers with improved, state of the art water meters. Installation of new meters will help us provide the highest levels of customer service and operational efficiency. Installation of new water meters will also deliver significant customer benefits by:

• Providing detailed information to help customers lower their bills and conserve water
• Lowering the cost of billing and service activities passed along to customers
• Improving leak detection and response capabilities

Meter replacement is mandatory for all Loudoun Water customer accounts. All of our 65,000 residential and commercial water meters will be replaced. Loudoun Water has contracted with Utility Metering Solutions (UMS) to carry out installation of the new meters. UMS is an industry expert committed to delivering excellent work through courteous, professional employees. UMS installers will carry identification, wear identifiable uniforms and drive marked vehicles.

Almost all water meters are located in the utility right of way. It is unlikely that UMS installers will need to access private property to replace water meters. After the water meter has been replaced, a door hanger will be left with our customer notifying them that their new water meter has been installed. In the rare case that an installer needs to access private property to replace the existing water meter, our customer will receive a letter requesting that they schedule an appointment with Loudoun Water for their water meter replacement.

During water meter replacement, our customer's water service will be interrupted for ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes. After the installation of the new water meter is complete, water service will be quickly restored. If accessible, the customer's water line will be flushed to remove air that may have collected during the installation. If customers notice air remaining in the lines, we ask that they simply run their cold water taps for five minutes to remedy the issue.

If you have questions about water meter replacements, please contact UMS at 800.297.0511. If you have service related questions, then please contact Loudoun Water at 571.291.7878. For additional information about our water meter replacement project, please click here to view the water meter FAQs.

In observance of the upcoming holidays our offices will be closed on the following dates: Monday, December 24 - Tuesday, December 25 - Wednesday, December 26.

Our offices will also be closed on Monday, December 31 and Tuesday, January 1. If you have an emergency that requires immediate assistance during this time, please call 571.291.7878 and you will be directed to our on-call service. If you are attempting to make a payment or make payment arrangements and are experiencing difficulty using our payment options, please contact our office on Thursday, December 27 or Wednesday, January 2 when we reopen at 8:00 a.m.

As always, you can use our website to complete your request online:
Pay a Bill
Start/Stop Service
Contact Us

We would also like to remind you to Can the Grease this holiday season to help keep Fats, Oils and Grease out of the drains! Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) may help your food taste good, but they are bad for your sewer pipes. A clogged sewer pipe can cause a sewer backup in your home, causing health hazards and leading to expensive fixes. FOG can also cause larger sewer mains to back up, which damages the environment.

FOG includes items such as cooking oils, butter, margarine, lard, bacon grease, shortening, meat fat, food scraps, baking goods, gravy, sauces, mayonnaise, turkey and beef drippings, salad dressings and dairy products.

Here are some simple ways to help prevent clogged pipes:

• Don't pour FOG down your sink or toilet
• Pour used grease into a can or container and dispose of it in the trash
• Scrape food particles on dishes and cooking utensils into the trash before placing them into the sink or dishwasher
• Limit your use of the garbage disposal. Instead, use strainers in your drains and empty the catch in the trash.

Thank you and have a safe and happy holiday season!

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday our offices will be closing at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, November 21^st, and will remain closed Thursday, November 22^nd and Friday, November 23^rd. If you have an emergency that requires immediate assistance during this time, please call 571.291.7878 and you will be directed to our on-call service. If you are attempting to make a payment or make payment arrangements and are experiencing difficulty using our payment options, please contact our office on Monday, November 26^th when we reopen at 8:00 a.m.

As always, you can use our website to complete your request online:
Pay a bill
Start/Stop Service
Contact Us

Thank you and have a happy holiday season!

UPDATE - September 12, 2012: As of 7:00 a.m., Loudoun Water's communications systems are back online and fully functioning. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused our customers and appreciate your patience during this time.

As of 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11, Loudoun Water is experiencing outages with our phone system.

To report an emergency please dial Loudoun Water's Emergency Phone Service directly at 703.476.3750. When prompted please select option number "3". For all other customer service needs, please access the appropriate forms on our website. We are working to resolve this issue, however we are currently unable to estimate when our communications will be restored.  If you need to schedule a start or stop service, please use our online Start Service or Stop Service form.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers. We will post updates on this page as soon as we receive additional information.

Loudoun Water Customer Relations