Boil Water Notice 8.19
8/19/2026
UPDATE, 8/21/2026, 2:30pm - Results from the second set of samples collected yesterday (Thursday) are "absent" for Total Coliform and E.coli. This means there were no indicators for bacteria present in two consecutive sets of samples. In concurrence with the Virginia Department of Health, RSA is lifting the boil water advisory. The official notice can be viewed by visiting the following link: https://www.rapidan.org/documents/246/Boil-Water-Advisory-Lifted_8.21.26.pdf
UPDATE, 8/20/2026, 4:30pm - Results from the first set of samples collected yesterday (Wednesday) are "absent" for Total Coliform and E. coli. This means there were no indicators for bacteria present in the water. We will receive results from the second set of samples tomorrow (Friday). The boil water advisory remains in effect for now.
UPDATE, 8/20/2026, 10:40am - Samples were collected yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon bracketing the repair site, following restoration of service. A second set of samples will be collected this morning (Thursday) and delivered to the lab for bacteriological analysis. Once two consecutive sets of samples are determined to be negative for "Total Coliform" bacteria, the boil water advisory can be lifted. This may happen as soon as tomorrow (Friday).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why was the advisory issued?
A: No specific contamination concerns were noted during the repair; however, RSA has the discretion to issue a precautionary advisory whenever there is localized pressure loss due to a main break. When water pressure drops below 20 psi during an uncontrolled shutdown, there is a potential for contamination at or near the site of the main break. This can be mitigated by flushing the surrounding area, which RSA did after isolating the leak. Nonetheless, a boil water advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution.
Q: Why wasn't I notified as soon as the break occurred?
A: Customers who were impacted by the outage (where water was turned off to make the repair) received a notice by phone and email when water was being turned off, soon after the leak began. The decision to issue a boil water advisory was made later, after reviewing call records that revealed "low pressure" or "no water" calls were received from customers outside of the immediate outage area before the leak was isolated. Customers in that expanded area were alerted by phone and email in the early afternoon. We are reviewing our communication protocols for this type of situation, as we have received feedback that a larger area should have been notified about the leak earlier in the day. That is a valid concern that we will address.
Any general questions about boil water advisories may be answered by this resource provided by the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water: Boil Water FAQs - Drinking Water
More specific questions about this boil water advisory can be directed to (540) 972-2133. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
A boil water advisory is in effect for the streets of Birchside Cir, Pine Valley Rd, Appleview Ct, Happy Creek Rd, and Pleasant Grove Rd in Lake of the Woods. Please view this document for more details: https://www.rapidan.org/documents/246/BWA-8-19-26__2_.pdf
On Wednesday morning (8/19/26), a water main break on Happy Creek Road caused localized water pressure loss. The main has since been repaired. Out of an abundance of caution and in accordance with Virginia Department of Health guidelines, a boil water advisory was issued for the area described above.
RSA will be collecting bacteriological samples near the repair site for laboratory analysis. Another set of samples will be collected tomorrow. The advisory may be lifted as soon as Friday if test results are clear.