Out of an abundance of caution and in coordination with the Virginia Department of Health, the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) issued a water use warning on August 21.

The warning was issued because RSA, the owner of the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant (WTP), had received complaints of an unknown odor. The plant serves the Lake of the Woods residential community, Wilderness Shores, Somerset, Edgewood, Germanna Heights, Twin Lakes, the Locust Grove campus of Germanna Community College and two multi-restaurant shopping centers on State Route 3.

RSA is investigating the unknown odor in collaboration with VDH, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Virginia Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS).

The identification of these contaminants is unknown at this time. RSA has collected these samples and sent them to Richmond for further analysis. Additional samples were collected on the evening of August 21. Test results may take up to 48 hours to be available. RSA will collect another round of samples on Friday.

The non-use order will remain in effect until the water is safe to use or drink again.

Also Thursday afternoon, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania authorities released a joint statement saying that the situation regarding water potentially contaminated by the Rapidan River in eastern Orange County has no impact on the drinking water supply for citizens in their jurisdictions.

“Spotsylvania County and the City of Fredericksburg are aware of the current situation in Orange County, Virginia, regarding the Rapidan Service Authority and its response to water quality concerns about a water source, namely the Rapidan River, which flows into the Rappahannock River,” the statement said.

“Currently, the Motts Run Water Treatment Plant, which supplies drinking water to the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County, is using Motts Run Reservoir as its sole source of raw water while the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Environmental Conservation complete their investigations along the Rapidan River.”

Residents of the affected area should avoid any contact with tap water until further notice; toilets can be flushed. Only bottled water and tap water should be used for all drinking and food preparation (including baby food and juice), making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes or laundry, washing hands and bathing. Affected people should not attempt to treat the water themselves. Boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants or leaving it standing will not make the water safe.

RSA is coordinating efforts to make bottled water available. A notification will be sent out and the RSA website will be updated to indicate when and where water will be available for pickup. Please sign up for notifications on the RSA website (www.rapidan.org/subscribe).

For more information, contact the Rapidan Service Authority at (540) 972-2133. Updates will be posted on the RSA website.

If you have any further questions, please contact the VDH Call Center at 877-829-4682 (option 2). The VDH Call Center is open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.