Loudoun County Groundwater Study
Overview
Groundwater conditions in Loudoun County have significantly worsened over the past several decades. Groundwater as a water supply is no longer sustainable, as the water table is slowly declining and several droughts have caused some wells, springs, and ponds to dry up. The increasing frequency and severity of drought conditions has negatively impacted the water supply and is expected to increase in the future. Changes in land use and increased residential development have led to a reduction in the amount of precipitation recharging the groundwater supply.
This silent shift of an invisible finite resource can be devastating to our water supply and our surface waters (ponds, streams, and springs) that impact aquatic life, residents, farmers, and businesses. Unlike neighboring jurisdictions, Loudoun County has fallen behind over time in evaluating, understanding, and regulating groundwater.
In response, the Agriculture Work Group of the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition (LCPCC) engaged in an evaluation of the science which defines groundwater, the history of groundwater resource management in the County and developed strategies to address groundwater issues and problems. Reports have been prepared to address this issue.
Report 1 – Assessment of Groundwater (click here) (Errata)
- The assessment describes the science that underpins the groundwater system in Loudoun County.
- Based on groundwater, surface water, and drought monitoring measurements, a series of graphs summarizes the status of groundwater resource.
- The assessment references and uses data reported by County, state and federal agencies not previously presented to establish trends and changes in a non-sustainable groundwater supply.
Report 2 – Historical Actions and Documents with Relevance to Groundwater (click here)
- A brief summary table presents an historical timeline of groundwater management actions relevant to Loudoun County groundwater resources. Events and facts are provided to construct recommendations.
In Process – Action Plan in Support of Sustainable Groundwater Supply
- An LCPCC Groundwater Committee is formulating recommended actions for County and Town regulators to support a sustainable water supply.
- The report will provide the framework for a future action plan on ways to improve hydrogeologic conditions for a sustainable groundwater supply and water resource conservation, as well as possible management approaches that may be essential to sustain Loudoun farms, rural businesses, and all citizens of Loudoun County.
- Proposed actions may include development of water resource planning documents, creation of a state-authorized groundwater management area, enhancement of regulations for new individual wells.
These reports provide important information on groundwater monitoring and water resource conservation as well as approaches that are essential to sustain Loudoun farms, rural businesses, and all citizens of Loudoun County.
Farmers, rural business owners and citizens of Loudoun County need to encourage elected officials (County Board of Supervisors, town mayors and others) to place a higher priority on extreme drought relief efforts for farmers and policy to investigate administrative changes that will protect and manage the depleting groundwater resource in Loudoun County. This imperative becomes even more critical in the face of changing weather patterns which make summers hotter and extended drought conditions become the new normal.