MAR/APR 2016: On Tap

LOUDOUN WATER

www.loudounwater.org 44865 Loudoun Water Way Ashburn, VA 20147

ON TAP OUR NEW WEBSITE IS LIVE! In February, Loudoun Water launched a new website that features clean design, rich content, user-friendly tools and advanced search functionality. The new site was created with the user-experience firmly in mind, using the latest technology to be compatible with today’s browsers and mobile devices.

“Our community has grown and evolved so much in the last few years, we felt a new site was needed to showcase who Loudoun Water is today and respond to the changing needs of our customers,” said General Manager Dale Hammes. “While most people will come to our site to pay a bill, it is our hope that they will stick around and explore the site and all it has to offer.”

Visitors can learn about the company’s community involvement, innovative technologies, sustainability practices and educational resources.

Last redesigned in 2009, this new website is designed to meet the requirements of an increasingly web-savvy and sophisticated customer base.

We welcome your feedback to help guide future updates and enhancements. Please send any feedback you have to communications@ loudounwater.org.

BUILDING OUR SYSTEM Loudoun Water has many projects and studies underway as part of our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP provides the design and construction of new infrastructure to upgrade and maintain our water and wastewater systems. Improvements are made annually to meet the extra demands and maintenance needs associated with a growing service area.

Our new website has a list of current projects as well as a map that shows the location of each project. Visit the Current Projects section on our website to stay up-to-date on all of our CIP projects.

WHAT IS HYDRANT FLUSHING? Loudoun Water and other water utilities around the country begin hydrant flushing every Spring for a multitude of reasons.

• To clear sediment from the lines • To monitor the system • To ensure high standards of water quality

Flushing in the Loudoun Water service area will begin the week of March 28 and will continue for about 12 weeks.

Flushing in the Loudoun Water service area will have no effect on water usage.

There are over 11,000 hydrants in the Loudoun Water system that must be maintained by our Field Service team. At each stop, a team member will open a hydrant and take samples to measure water quality. Each day, they will typically flush around 25 hydrants per person in addition to their usual responsibilities.

MILKY APPEARANCE DURING FLUSHING This is simply a result of air bubbles stirred up during flushing. Letting the water sit in a glass for a moment will take care of the air bubbles!

WHAT’S THAT TASTE? During flushing, some customers may notice a more pronounced chlorine taste or odor in the water. Fairfax Water (our wholesale water provider) temporarily switch from chloramines to free chlorine each Spring. Loudoun Water also switches from chloramines to free chlorine during each spring.

Free chlorine serves as an aggressive disinfectant that aids in the disinfection of the flushed water mains. Filling a pitcher with water and placing it in the refrigerator will help to alleviate the chlorine taste. After springtime flushing is complete, Fairfax Water and Loudoun Water will switch the disinfectant back to chloramines. This is standard practice for many water utility systems throughout the United States.

Daily hydrant flushing locations will be posted on our Twitter account, @loudounwater as well as on our website.

APRIL IS NATIONAL SAFE DIGGING MONTH! Thinking of digging on your property this spring?

Remember that Miss Utility (a free one-call notification center) is your partner when it comes to safe digging! If you plan on any type of excavation or digging on your property, make a request by visiting the Miss Utility website or by calling 811 or 1-800552-7001.

Virginia law requires utilities or their contract locators to mark the approximate horizontal location of their underground utilities within 48 hours beginning the next business day after you call 811. If you are planning to do work in your yard on Saturday, call 811 no later than Tuesday so that your utilities can be marked.

Examples of work include: • Landscaping • Digging holes for fences posts or mail boxes • Anchoring supports for decks or swings • Removing tree roots • Installing a retaining wall

KEEPING OUR WATERWAYS CLEAN Medications play a very important role in treating many conditions and diseases, but when they are no longer needed it’s important to dispose them properly. Not all medications are safe to flush down the drain, which is why Loudoun Water and water utilities across the country encourage customers to dispose medication properly.

Flushed medications can have effects on wildlife and water quality.

For the convenience of residents, there is a Drug Collection Unit located at the Leesburg Police Headquarters, 65 Plaza Street, N.E. in Leesburg. Residents can safey dispose unused, unwated or expired medications at this location.

Saturday, April 30, 2016 is the DEA’s National Prescription Durg Take-Back Day. Visit their website to located additional collection sites.

CROSSCONNECTION & BACKFLOW PREVENTION: KEEPING OUR WATER SAFE

Backflow devices prevent water from traveling back into your drinking water.

Loudoun Water is committed to providing safe drinking water. Our customers have a responsibility to help us as well. Federal and State regulations require backflow preventers be tested annually by a certified tester to make sure they are adequately working.

Swimming pool or hot tub: If filled with a hose submerged in the water, pool water can be drawn back into the hose and into a house’s water supply.

Backflow is the undesirable reversal of the flow of water from its intended direction. Backflow is dangerous because it can allow drinking water in plumbing systems to become contaminated and unusable.

Garden hoses and hose bibs: If an insecticide or herbicide dispenser is attached to a garden hose, a pressure drop can cause chemical-laden water to be pulled from the hose and into the house water supply.

Backflow prevention protects both the customer’s drinking water pipes in their home as well as the water mains in the streets. Otherwise, if a drop in pressure occurs, any connection to a non-potable source could be siphoned back into the customer’s home or Loudoun Water’s service line, which can be dangerous.

How Can I Prevent Backflow?

Avoid submerging a garden hose into a bucket, pool, spa, tub or sink.

What is a Cross-Connection?

A cross-connection is a temporary or permanent connection between a potable (drinking) water supply and a non-potable source. Common types of cross connections in homes include: Underground sprinkler systems: Dirty water from the lawn can be siphoned back into the sprinkler head and flow back into the house water supply.

Always keep the end of a hose away from possible contaminants.

Always have a backflow prevention device on your garden hose when putting on a spray or cleaning attachment.

For more information Information about cross-connection and backflow prevention can be found on our website.

REMINDER: ACCOUNT NUMBERS

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When sending in or calling with a payment, please remember to use your nine digit account number. This helps our staff to process payments quickly and without error.

Some customers may have an arrangement with their bank to automatically send in a check.

Loudoun Water recommends customers check with their bank to ensure the correct account number is listed.

You can find your nine digit account number on your bill or by calling us at 571-291-7880.

Join over 10,000 customers who have already signed up for LW Connect. Once you register, you will be able to view your bill online, enroll in auto-debit, sign up for e-Billing, see your payment history and more!

Go to www.loudounwater.org and click on the LW Connect logo to get started.

STAY CONNECTED Follow Loudoun Water online for water conservation tips, important service updates and more. Click on the icons below to check out our pages and stay connected:

#loudounwater

Have a question? Call our Customer Relations team for more information at 571-291-7880, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are happy to help you!