LOCUST GROVE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Orange County Public Schools are closed today due to a local state of emergency because of a contaminant in the water supply that has necessitated a “do not use” order for county water customers in the eastern part of the county. Locust Grove Primary School will be open from 8:30 AM until 3:00 PM for community members to fill water bottles. The Hornet Sports Center at Orange County High School will be open from 8:30 AM until 3:00 PM for community members to fill water bottles and access showers.
The Germanna Community  College Locust Grove Campus will be closed until August 26. All in-person courses set to begin this week at LGC will take place online until the campus reopens.

The Rapidan Service Authority has determined water supplied by the Wilderness WTP Water System has “potentially been contaminated 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.
RSA is coordinating efforts to make bottled water available. An alert will be sent out and the RSA website updated to show when and where it will be available for pick up.
Please register for alerts on RSA’s website at “www.rapidan.org/subscribe“.