LOCUST GROVE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UPDATED AT 3:00PM: Bottled water distribution is available at Locust Grove Middle School using the bus lot entrance. As of 1pm, a limited supply was available with more truckloads on the way.

ORIGINAL:

A local state of emergency has been declared in Orange County due to a contaminant in the supply that has necessitated a “do not use” order for county water customers in the eastern part of the county. The Rapidan Service Authority has determined water supplied by the Wilderness WTP Water System has “potentially been contamined by an unknown substance”. The area served by this plant includes Lake of the Woods, Wilderness Shores, Somerset, Edgewood, Germanna Heights, Twin Lakes, and Route 3.

Residents and visitors are advised to avoid all contact with the tap water, and only bottled water should be used for consumption, brushing teeth, washing hands, and bathing. Bottled water was available for a period of time at a RSA distribution site, but that supply had been exhausted by 11:15am. RSA is working on getting more supply, and relocating the distribution site. Locust Grove Middle School, Germanna Community College Locust Grove Campus, and the Wilderness Branch Library are closed Thursday.
Click here for the latest RSA information, including bottled water distribution information.

While the order affects only a portion of the county, county leaders are monitoring the other areas in light of the situation.