Route 20 Water

Beginning in mid-2026, RSA will begin distributing water from the Town of Orange water system rather than from RSA’s existing groundwater wells. Construction of a new metering and pressure reduction vault is underway. This facility will allow RSA to accept water from the Town of Orange at a consistent pressure and flow rate.

This change is being made for several important reasons:

• Adequate Supply: The current wells have a limited production yield and struggle to keep pace with the needs of our customers. Connecting to the Town of Orange system will provide a more plentiful water supply.
• Water Quality: We have received complaints about water discoloration, air, and sediment accumulation. When the wells are operated for extended periods to keep up with customer demand, we experience issues with high iron levels and air in the water. Switching to water from the Town of Orange will ensure a more consistent water quality.
• Reliability: The water storage tank for the Route 20 water system is located on Porter Road. Under the current arrangement, service interruptions on Constitution Highway can cause widespread outages for customers between the repair site and the Town of Orange. Once a permanent connection is made with the Town, water can travel from multiple directions to reduce the number of customers impacted by outages.
• Enhanced Public Safety: The new connection will improve fire protection for the community by increasing the volume and flow rate of water available for firefighting throughout the distribution system.

What this means for you:

The most noticeable change in water quality will be a higher chlorine level. The Town of Orange water treatment plant applies a higher dosage of chlorine for disinfection than RSA’s wells, due to the larger size of its service area. This ensures that a safe residual concentration of chlorine reaches all points of the distribution system. While RSA already uses chlorine to treat your water, the concentration has been lower.

Some people are more sensitive to chlorine’s taste and odor than others. It is possible that you will not notice a difference. If desired, any activated carbon filter will work to remove the chlorine. These products are widely available as filter pitchers or dispensers, faucet-mounted filters, refrigerator filters, or whole home filter systems.

We understand that changes in water quality may raise questions, and we want to assure you that the water will continue to meet all state and federal drinking water standards.

Further information will be shared with you as the transition gets closer. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact David Jarrell at djarrell@rapidan.org or (540) 972-2133.