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Keep Us Rural

Save Waterford, Paeonian Springs, & Clarkes Gap Road

Summary of the Project

    The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors want to use $60,200,000 (Sixty million two hundred thousand dollars!) to build an Interconnected Water and Wastewater System between the historic villages of Waterford and Paeonian Springs, which means along beautiful Clarkes Gap Road (Route 662). 

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    While this sounds nice, it will destroy our beautiful Clarkes Gap Road... it will destroy our historic Waterford... it will destroy our quaint Village of Paeonian Springs.  

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    Once this project is completed, real estate development in Waterford, in Paeonian Springs, and in all the areas in between the two, will skyrocket.  Just think, a row of townhouses in the fields across from the Shell Station, big water-holding tanks in the open fields along Clarkes Gap Road, a treatment facility in another field, a storage and pumping facility in still another field.  

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    There are other ways to solve the water/waste water issues in the Villages of Waterford and Paeonian Springs, which will cost millions of dollars less and does not destroy the historic villages and the roadways in-between.

FLAWED Feasibility Study

Here is the flawed Feasibility Study Submitted by Dewberry Engineers Inc. to Loudoun Water on 

October 17, 2024. 

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Keep reading to see some of the ways it is flawed.

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Feasibility Study Findings

Here is the PowerPoint prepared by the Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee on November 12, 2024, of the FLAWED Feasibility Study. 

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Keep reading to see some of the ways it is flawed.

Upcoming Dates

June 4th, 2025 - Next Waterford Preservation Group Meeting
Discussion of our previous meeting with Chairperson Randall and figuring out our next steps.
May 28th, 2025 - Meeting with Chairperson Phyllis Randall
Meeting with Chairperson Phyllis Randall at 11am. Your attendance and participation at this meeting will be key to ensure a productive/fruitful meeting. Please get in contact with the Waterford Preservation Group if you wish to attend.

Sign the Petition

Sign the Petition against the Paeonian Springs/Wateford 

Interconnected Community Water/Wastewater Systems

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Small Problems need Small Solutions!

Not a $60+ Million, County-Run Solution!

Overview of the Project

Loudoun County's proposed project involves:

  1. A community water system to serve Waterford and Paeonian Springs; and

  2. A community waste water system to serve Paeonian Springs, which is tied into Wateford's existing wastewater system treatment system.

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The Proposed Community WATER System involves:

  1. Drilling up to 5 community wells along Clarkes Gap Road that provide 414 gallons per minute (214 gallons per minute for Paeonian Springs and 173 gallons per minute for Waterford);

  2. Installation of a watermain along Clarkes Gap Road between Paeonian Springs and Waterford, which is connected to a water storage facility;

  3. Construction of a water storage facility along Clarkes Gap Road;

  4. Construction of a water treatment facility along Clarkes Gap Road; and

  5. Construction of a booster pumping station near Paeonian Springs.

 

The Proposed Community WASTEWATER TREATMENT System involves:

  1. Expansion of Waterford's existing wastewater treatment plant from its current capacity of 58,000 gallons per day to 133,000 gallons per day to accommodate an additional 75,000 gallons per day of wastewater from Paeonian Springs; and

  2. Installation of two 4-inch-diamer forced mains between Paeonian Springs and Waterford along Clarkes Gap Road. 

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The Status of the Proposed Project as of April 2, 2025:

  1. On October 17, 2024, Dewberry (under agreement with Loudoun Water) completed a Feasibilty Study and concluded that the Project is technically feasible.

  2. On November 12, 2024, the Loudoun County Finance/Government Operations, and Economic Development Committee ("FGOEDC") voted 5 to 0 to approve a $4,000,000 (4 million dollar) request by the Department of General Services ("DGS") to:

    1. Close the "Village of Paeonian Springs Wastewater Modernization" CIP (~$43 million project);
    2. Move $1.289 million from the old CIPs to the new CIP;
    3. Acquire around 20 acres of land (presumably along Clarkes Gap Road);
    4. Obtain land use approvals (presumably along Clarkes Gap Road); and
    5. Other costs associated with upgrading the existing Waterford wastewater treatment plant ("WWTP") to accept 75,000 gallons per date of Paeonian Springs wastewater.
    6. Close the "Village of Waterford Communal Water System" Capital Improvement Project ("CIP") (~$13 million project);
    7. On November 19, 2024, the Loundoun County Board of Supervisors voted 9 to 0 to approve DGS's $4 million request.

 

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10 Reasons Why this Proposed Project is Flawed

  1. Loudoun County failed to comply with its own procedures prior to initiating this Project;

  2. Loudoun County failed to conduct proper public outreach and engagement;

  3. The Feasibility Study failed to evaluate the economic viability of the proposed interconnected system;

  4. The Feasibility Study is based on old and incomplete well-yield data;

  5. The Feasibility Study failed to consider the environmental impacts of the proposed Project;

  6. The Feasibility Study failed to consider more cost-effective solutions;

  7. The Feasibility Study failed to consider the potential impact for the proposed Project on real estate development; 

    • Paeonian Springs: 121 parcels are currently occupied (45,000 gallons per day).

    • Paeonian Springs: 201 parcels are within service boundary area (75,000 gallons per day).

    • Waterford: 122 parcels are currently occupied.

    • Waterford: 144 parcels are within service area.

  8. The Feasibility Study failed to consider the proposed Project's potential impact on the National Historic Landmark Status of Waterford;

  9. The Feasibility Study failed to consider the destruction of the viewscape along Clarkes Gap Road; and

  10. The Feasibility Study failed to consider the potential impact of the proposed Project on existing wells along Clarkes Gap Road.

Paraphrased Summary of Scott Fincham's Responses to our Questions

Questions were sent to Scott Fincham, Environmental Program Specialist at the Loudoun County Government in April 2024.  A paraphrased summary of his responses in May 2024 follows.  

The full response is in the More Reading section below, No. 3.

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General:

  • Subject to further review, the County has determined that the Project is technically feasible (Q #1.a).

  • The County’s feasibility study for the Project is in draft form and should be completed in Summer 2024, at which time it will be made available to the public (Q #1.b and #1.c).

  • Public outreach will not begin until after the Project’s feasibility study is finalized (Q #2).

  • Public “approval” of the Project is not required, but public input will be permitted (Q #2.a).

  • The County has yet to establish specific service areas for the Project, but it will in the future (Q #3.a and 3.b).

  • There is no legal vehicle to prohibit future/new households and businesses from connecting to the Project (Q #3.c).

  • It is possible for the County to expand service areas after they are established (Q #4.d).

  • The County plans to use the Clarkes Gap Road Right-of-Way and easements on parcels adjacent to Clarkes Gap Road for:  (a) groundwater wells; (b) a water treatment plant; (c) water distribution pipes (Q #5).

  • The Project currently funded for design only (Q #6).

  • The goal is to complete the design and permitting for the Project by December 2026 (Q #6).

  • If approved, construction would take approximately three years (i.e., December 2029 completion date) (Q #6).

 

Water:

  • The County did not conduct any groundwater field investigations to prepare its feasibility study (Q #1).

  • The County’s Health Department may permit hydraulic fracturing of wells on a case-by-case basis (Q #2).

  • The County’s estimate for the Project is $52 million, with a range of -20% to +30% (Q #8).

  • The County’s feasibility study was not based on actual or complete well yield data (Q #9).

  • Well yields under 3 gallons per minute (gpm) (State) and 5 gpm (County) require measures for additional storage and/or testing to verify adequate sustained flow (Q #10).

  • Loudoun Water’s Engineering Design Manual requires 1.2 gpm per connection for groundwater-supplied community systems (Q #12).

  • The target yield for groundwater wells along Clarkes Gap Road is approximately 414 gpm (241 gpm for Paeonian Springs and 173 gpm for Waterford) (Q #14).

  • The community water system involves the installation of a water treatment facility (Q #16).

  • Groundwater consultants conducted a desktop study and identified areas along Clarkes Gap Road with high yield potential (Q #18).

  • The County has yet to secure the necessary property along Clarkes Gap Road for the community water system (Q #20).

  • The County may require households to connect to the community water system (Q #21).

  • The County may require a minimum number of connections to support a community water system (Q #21).

  • A minimum number of connections may be necessary for the water treatment system to operate properly (Q #21).

  • The County may require households to pay for the Project via a special assessment or taxing district even if the households choose not to connect to the Project (Q #22).

  • There may be potential scenarios where the County will require connection to the community water system when property is sold (Q #23).

  • The Virginia Code permits the County to force households to connect to the proposed community water system if a service district is established (Q #24).

  • The County’s estimated cost to abandon a well is $2,000 to $5,000 (Q #27).

  • There are no legal vehicles that would ensure households can maintain their individual water systems in perpetuity (Q #28).

  • The County has not developed a funding strategy for the Project (Q #31).

  • The County may choose to finance the Project via a special assessment or taxing district (Q #31).

  • The County would create a service district if a funding mechanism such as a special assessment or tax district was necessary to support the Project (Q #31).

  • The County has not conducted an analysis to evaluate the economic viability of the Project (Q #32).

  • The County estimates that the cost to connect to the proposed community water system would be $8,000 to $15,000, which excludes well abandonment cost, which the County estimates at $2,000 to $5,000.  These cost estimates do not include plumbing system upgrades that may be required within individual households to accommodate the increased water pressure from a community water system (Q #34).

  • The County did not use the survey results – which indicated that only 17 of 154 properties (11%) would connect to a community water system – to justify the community water system (Q #36).

 

Sewer:

  • The current capacity of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment facility is 58,000 gpd (Q #1).

  • Loudoun Water is already moving forward with upgrading the existing wastewater treatment facility to meet new ammonia standards set by the Department of Environmental Quality DEQ (Q #2).

  • The existing wastewater treatment facility would need to be expanded to accommodate sewage from Paeonian Springs (Q #2).

  • It is anticipated that the upgraded wastewater treatment facility will be completed by the end of 2027 (Q #3).

  • If the existing wastewater treatment facility is expanded to accommodate sewerage from Paeonian Springs, the anticipated completion date for the upgraded wastewater treatment facility is the end of 2029 (Q #3).

  • The capacity of the existing wastewater treatment facility will need to increase from 58,000 gpd to 133,000 gpd to accommodate the anticipated sewerage from Paeonian Springs (Q #7).

  • The County is not currently considering sending Paeonian Springs wastewater to Hamilton or Leesburg (Q #8).

  • The County put any consideration of locating a wastewater treatment facility in Paeonian Springs on hold until the feasibility of study for the Project is completed (Q #9).

  • Only 112 of 201 parcels in the Paeonian Springs service area are currently developed (Q #10).

  • The County’s estimated cost of the interconnected wastewater system is approximately $27 million (Q. #16).

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This is what they plan to do to our Scenic Clarkes Gap Road

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Proposed Geophysical Study Areas

Telephone Call between Mark Denicore (Waterford Preservation Group) and Several County Officials

Mark Denicore had a telephone call on April 15, 2025 with several County officials, including Scott Fincham and Ernie Brown.  Below are the results of the call:

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  1. The County will provide a response to our FOIA request.

  2. The design of the interconnected system is being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  The ARPA funds continue to be available to the County and it appears that the funds will not be “clawed back” by the federal government.  The ARPA funds need to be expended by the end of 2026.  Based on the County’s progress to date, I’m not sure if the design of the interconnected system will be completed by the end of 2026.  It will depend on whether the County can find viable locations for installation of water wells and associated equipment for the interconnected project.

  3. If the County decides to proceed with the construction of the interconnected project (estimated at ~$60m), the County officials said that it would be funded by the County as a Capital Improvement Project (CIP).

  4. Regardless of the status of the interconnected project, the expansion of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant has been funded and is moving forward.  This expansion will increase the capacity of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant from 58,000 gallons per day (gpd) to 133,000 gpd – a 129 percent increase in capacity.  The increased capacity of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant will accommodate the estimated wastewater flow from Paeonian Springs of 75,000 gpd. 

  5. The County officials insisted that the expansion of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant does not mean that interconnected system is more likely to move forward, but – in our opinion – it’s certainly a big step in that direction.

  6. Mark mentioned the recent Loudoun Water letter that some of us received asking for community input about the colors for the new wastewater treatment plant buildings.  He told the County officials that he thought Loudoun Water’s letter was disingenuous, as it failed to mention anything about the expansion of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant and the reasons why the facility is being expanded.  The County officials defended Loudoun Water’s letter, claiming that the replacement of Waterford’s existing wastewater treatment plant has little to do with its expansion.

  7. The County officials mentioned that they are in the process of preparing a letter to inform Clarkes Gap Road residents about the interconnected project.  The County plans to circulate the letter in the future, which will direct residents to information about the interconnected project on the County’s website.  Mark doesn't view this “public outreach/engagement” approach as being very helpful.

  8. Notwithstanding the County’s planned letter, Mark asked the County, once again, to conduct in-person public outreach/engagement regarding the interconnected project, rather than directing residents to a website.  The County appears open to the idea, but insists it would be premature to do so prior to the completion of the design of the interconnected project.  He mentioned to the County officials that once the design has been completed, it is unlikely that the County would scrap the project after making such a significant financial investment.  The County officials explained that the Board of Supervisors has already allocated the necessary funding for the completion of the design for the interconnected project, so that “ship has already sailed.”

Save our Scenic Clarkes Gap Road. 
Once it is gone, we CANNOT get it back!

Stop the growth!     Stop the destruction!     Save our Tax Dollars!

 

  • Don't destroy our scenic roadway to put in pump stations.  Your drive to Waterford and back will be like driving down the Greenway with the water tanks and 8-foot chain link fences. 

  • $60,200,000 to build a water treatment facility to benefit 122 houses in Waterford and 121 houses in Paeonian Springs.  Those on Clarkes Gap Road possibly lose their land and definitely lose their beauty, and gain nothing back.  They are not allowed to tap into this new proposed system (not that they want too)!  They pay the ultimate price!  

  • A better solution would be to provide grants to help the needed buildings in Waterford and Paeonian Springs to install water systems, such as a Well Harvester® system.  At a cost of $8,845 per house, for those 10 or so houses that are in need of better water and sewer, would save our scenic Clarkes Gap Road.  Here is a link to their website.  "The Well Harvester® is for anyone with a well that doesn’t produce enough water for their needs or desired usage.  Also, if your well does produce enough water, but you think that your well may be over-pumping itself our system may be for you."

  • Don't allow them to dry out our creeks and wells.

  • Think of the increase in traffic and how many more houses/townhouses they can build once a water/sewer system is up and running.

  • Don't Sterling-ize and Ashburn-ize our paradise!  Rural areas are a dying breed in Loudoun County

  • Don't steal our houses and land through eminent domain...don't unhouse us. 

  • If this goes through, the property values of nearby homes, such as Beacon Hill, Red Cedar, Ashbrook, Willowsford, Hartland, etc. will all decrease.

  • If this goes through, the area will explode with new houses, townhouses, etc., just like what is happening on the Evergreen Mills Road Development.  See the Loudounnow.com April 15 article here.

  • The Loudoun County Government considers providing the public with access to a website to constitute proper "public outreach" or "public engagement".  The fact that the public did not know about the website does not seem to matter to them.  The County did not conduct any in-person public meetings to explain the project (e.g. cost, schedule, logistics, benefits, burdens, status, risks).  Nor did they provide the public with an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns about the same.

More Reading...

1 / Call to Action - Urgent Notice
More information on the Proposed Infrastructure Project for the Area Residents.
2 / Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Action Item #14g of April 19, 2022
2022 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be appropriated by the Board of Supervisors.
3 / Preliminary Questions for Loudoun County Government
Questions were sent to Scott Fincham, Environmental Program Specialist at Loudoun County Government, in April 2024.  These are his answers of May 2024.
4 / Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Action Item #14j of October 15, 2024
More discussion on the ARPA funds to be reallocated.  Paeonian Springs is discussed on page 3.   
5 / Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Action Item #5g of November 19, 2024
This Report discusses the Board of Supervisors meeting, giving the background, discussing the Feasibility Study (page 6), the Issues (page 11), and the Fiscal Impact (page 14). 

More Websites for Information on this Project

Loudoun.Gov

Loudoun County Government Project Page

EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

BLOG

Loudoun County Government's Blog

Thank you to those who have supported and endorsed our efforts so far!

Visits

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