RSA gets dunked for its handling of Orange County water crisis

Virginia Department of Health says RSA needs to make multiple improvements

Oct 02, 2024

An investigation by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) of the contaminated water crisis affecting thousands of residents of eastern Orange County in late August makes it clear as a glass of clean, odor-free water that the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) has enormous room for improvement.

The investigation revealed that a “catastrophic” pump failure at the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant, run by the Rapidan Service Authority RSA), resulted in a release of mineral oil into the public water supply and caused the public drinking water to take on a foul odor and taste. The report coming out of the investigation blames RSA for a communication breakdown, among other problems.

VDH’s Office of Drinking Water (ODW) tested numerous water samples, with the help of a Texas lab. Results indicated that the water causing many a nostril to flare with alarm did not endanger those who used it. That was a relief, but ODW’s long and strongly worded report details the many problems that led to the pump failures and calls out RSA for not sharing crucial information promptly. The report also makes a series of recommendations to RSA to improve its operations and communications.

In the report issued September 25, ODW sums up the immediate cause of the trouble at the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant:

After extensive investigation and sampling, on September 13, 2024, VDH determined that a catastrophic failure of a raw water pump at the intake from the Rapidan River caused the objectionable odor. The catastrophic pump failure occurred on August 20, the day before customers noticed the objectionable odor. About two to three gallons of food grade mineral oil was released. The food grade mineral oil was likely thermally altered, burned, or scorched from the catastrophic pump failure.

There are three pumps connected to the water treatment plant, and all three broke down. The detailed timeline of events that ODW constructed “shows that RSA knew a pump failed to operate on August 20 and again on August 24. RSA first reported the pump failure was catastrophic to VDH staff in an email from Tim Clemons, General Manager for RSA, on September 4.”

Before the alarming odor subsided, the Rapidan Service Authority (RSA), with VDH support, issued a “Do not use” advisory that was later downgraded to “Do not drink” the water. The situation lasted a week and caused enormous inconvenience and considerable distress to residents and business operators along the Route 3 corridor and in Lake of the Woods, Wilderness Shores and Somerset Farms.

On August 22, a day after RSA customers began complaining that their drinking water smelled like diesel fuel or something similarly unpleasant, ODW notes in its timeline, “RSA participates in multiple incident command calls but does not mention the pump failure or the electrical issue witnessed in the pump disconnect.”

On September 3, during a meeting of ODW and RSA officials, ODW’s water authorities said they thought the pumps were “the source of the odor. This statement received vehement denial and pushback from RSA who accused ODW of looking for the ‘easy’ solution,” according to the report.

RSA called out for communication breakdown, plus electrical and installation failures, among other problems

The report released by ODW Director Dwayne Roadcap points to four major problems: (1) a communication breakdown, with RSA not promptly informing regulatory bodies of equipment problems at the water treatment plant; (2) electrical and installation failures, with “repeated electrical issues and the use of temporary wiring played a critical role in the failure of the pumps”; (3) RSA’s “inadequate monitoring and emergency response”; and (4) RSA’s inadequate oversight of contractors, which “contributed to the problem, as vital information about the pump installations and electrical work was not properly communicated.”

Aerial image of the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant and its wet wells, included in ODW’s “Investigative Summary Report,” released Sept. 25, 2024.

ODW is blunt in its conclusions: “These findings suggest that RSA needs to implement stronger communication protocols, improve oversight of contractors, install more advanced monitoring systems, and develop a comprehensive emergency response plan to prevent and respond to future incidents.”

ODW also makes clear that the state health department does not take kindly to all the work and expense that a seemingly avoidable problem caused:

Although food-grade mineral oil by definition is not a health hazard, the objectionable odor event demonstrated that a small amount, perhaps just two to three gallons of food grade mineral oil, significantly altered the taste and odor of the drinking water produced at the [water treatment plant]. Significant expenses from multiple state agencies and local government occurred from sampling, investigation, and responding to the event. Setting up water filling stations, providing bottled water, and many experts and staff spent hundreds of hours responding to the event. Public concerns and questions remain.

On the same day that ODW released its damning report, ODW’s Culpeper Field Office sent a letter to RSA stating that VDH “has reason to believe that RSA may have violated the Virginia Public Water Supplies Law, Va. Code § 32.1-167 et seq., and the Waterworks Regulations, 12VAC5-590-10 et seq.”

The letter, signed by ODW Field Director Jeremy Hull, gives RSA 60 days to respond with a plan for corrective actions and asks RSA to “schedule at least monthly meetings with ODW’s Culpeper Field Office to review progress on RSA’s plan, including its asset management, emergency response, and capital improvement plans.”

Byrd Street’s next issue will include further coverage of this matter, with comments from Orange County Supervisor Bryan Nicol (District 5) and ODW Director Dwayne Roadcap.

And now, too much rain

Remember, not so many weeks ago, when it was punishingly dry, and we wondered whether it would ever rain again? Now we have the opposite problem, though Orange County was thankfully spared the devastation that Hurricane Helene visited on points south of us.

On Monday, Byrd Street weather correspondent Greg Lillard, farm manager at the Northern Piedmont Research Center in Orange, sent me an update on the potential for local flooding. He wrote, “I have yet to hear of or see any severe flooding in our area. There is water accumulation on roads, but I am unaware of any significant flooding. The risk potential is still high at the moment, and it sounds like it will be high for the next day or so.”

“Moisture and mud are terrible for animal health”

As for conditions at local farms, he said, “It depends on the situation, but in general, prolonged periods of rain are detrimental to agriculture. Moisture and mud are terrible for animal health. All hay production has stopped due to being too wet.

“The biggest concern, however, is row crops. We are in a transition period for row crops; our summer crops need to be harvested, and our fall crops need to be planted, neither of which is happening at the moment, and timing does have an impact on yield. Another issue is that grain that is ready to be harvested and exposed to excess moisture can lead to significant mold or rot. The right conditions can lead to total losses,” he said.

He reported on Monday that the research center had recorded 7.87 inches of rain for the month. The county’s average for September is 3.95 inches. As of Monday, the total precipitation for 2024 was 35.45 inches, and the county’s year-to-date historic average was 32.40 inches. All rain dances canceled until further notice.

(1) The Rapidan River barely creeps over the dam in Rapidan back in late July. (2) The recent heavy rains make for a very different look. Photos by Hilary Holladay.

After rough start, Orange County schools aim to get back on track

The school year got off to a bumpy start in Orange County. First, Gordon Barbour Elementary School had to open a few days late due to incomplete construction work, and there was heavy rain when school began, due to Hurricane Debbie. Then, on opening day at Orange County High School, an accidental code red alert brought law enforcement to the scene and forced everybody out of the building. Next came septic system problems at Unionville Elementary School and a water main break at Orange Elementary School. Then the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant drinking water crisis affected thousands of households in and around Locust Grove and led to system-wide school closures.

On September 16, in a macabre exclamation point to the whole series of unsettling events, an instructional aide at Orange Elementary found a loaded revolver in a six-year-old’s backpack. The frightening discovery led to the arrest of Drakar L. Rawlings, 31, of Orange.

“We have received overwhelming support from the OES community”

Before Rawlings’s arrest, I checked in with Orange Elementary School Principal Lawyer Johnson by email to ask how everybody at OES was holding up in the wake of an event that drew widespread media coverage.

Johnson responded on an upbeat note and said people at the school were doing well. He added, “In response to this challenging situation, we have met with staff, students and any families who have expressed concerns. We have received overwhelming support from the OES community, and we are confident and prepared to move forward in a positive direction as a school community.”

I also had a brief chat with Dr. Daniel Hornick, superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, about the recent series of disruptions. He said he was looking into “next steps” regarding the Orange Elementary School incident, which might include additional security measures.

When I asked whether he had received criticism for what appeared to be a delayed notification to families that OES had gone into “safe school” mode after the gun was found, Hornick said he’d heard about social media chatter on that topic, though he doesn’t use Facebook. (And in an electronic message to families shortly after the incident, he said the school system would work to improve the timing of “safe school” alerts.)

Hornick told me that typically, parents and guardians are notified quickly when a school is secured for safety reasons. However, in this case, he said the school system did alert OES families about the “actual details” of the gun discovery as soon as possible—right after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had released its own statement online.

“We have to be sure that we know exactly what is going on, what we’re able to put out, and then it takes a little bit of time to craft the message, and then once it’s crafted, get it recorded and then send it. To send [an automated] call, it can take 10, 15, sometimes 20 minutes, depending on how many parents we’re sending it to, for all the calls to actually get made,” Hornick said.

After all the ups and downs, “we’re looking for some level”

As for the various upheavals, some requiring school closures, Hornick said, “Being able to navigate all of those is really a testament to what we’re trying to build, which is a family atmosphere. And I think we’ve navigated them well because we have improved our abilities to communicate—more websites, more social media, new platforms to make automated calls. I’m hoping that that builds trust. We’ve been pretty resilient. … The start and the stops, and the peaks and valleys—it hasn’t been much just level. So we’re looking for some level.”

Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Hornick speaks at Montpelier’s Constitution Day on September 21. Photo by Hilary Holladay.

Beneath a bright sun, a crowd flocks to ODA’s Orangetoberfest

Sandwiched between recent rainy spells, the Orange Downtown Alliance (ODA) got lucky with the weather on Saturday. The warm, sunny afternoon was perfect for the ODA’s third Orangetoberfest, which features brews made in Orange County and all over the region.

According to ODA President Cameron Hamilton, more than 600 people attended the event, including some visiting from Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia.

With live music playing, the vibe by midafternoon was decidedly mellow. A steady stream of beer and ale tasters took their Orangetoberfest souvenir glasses from tent to tent in search of brews to sample and possibly buy. Many enjoyed a bite to eat as well and chatted with friends along the way.

Hamilton told me via email, “Overwhelmingly, we received positive feedback. There are always matters we can improve on, and the ODA is collecting all lessons learned to make the next [Orangetoberfest] even better.”

(1) A long row of tents beckons to lovers of beer and ale. (2) Iron Pipe Alewerks of Orange keeps busy with customers. (3) Claire and Logan McKinley of Charlottesville are dressed for Oktoberfest and ready to take on all challengers at corn hole; (4) La Naranja of Orange draws fans of Mexican food. (5) A crowd fills up Short Street by midafternoon. (6) Patch Brewing Co. of Gordonsville attracts plenty of business. Photos by Hilary Holladay.

Education foundation honors Sharon Mohrmann and LOW Lions Club

The Orange County Education Foundation honored Sharon Mohrmann, longtime teacher at Orange Elementary School, during its annual celebration and fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 29. A beloved presence in Orange, Mohrmann has taught at OES for 42 years and is widely known for organizing and directing the elementary school’s annual fifth-grade musical.

The education foundation held its festive event at The Pavilion on Lakeland Farms. In addition to Mohrmann, the group honored the Lake of the Woods Lions Club for its generous support of the Orange County schools, including teacher innovation grants and college scholarships.