Recent Updates

Loudoun County and Loudoun Water have several active initiatives focused on the water and wastewater infrastructure for the Village of St. Louis.  These range from immediate facility upgrades to long-term community planning.  

​

St. Louis Village Plan (Approved September 2025)  

​

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently approved the St. Louis Village Plan on September 10, 2025. This plan is a comprehensive guide for the village's future and includes specific provisions for water and wastewater:

• Infrastructure Improvements: The plan identifies funding alternatives for water system improvements.

• Individual Drinking Water: The Board has initiated work on solutions for specific drinking water concerns within the village.

• Implementation Steps: As of early 2026, implementation is focused on land use and development concerns, which often go hand-in-hand with ensuring sustainable water/sewer capacity.

​

Loudoun Water is currently managing a significant capital project specifically for the St. Louis Wastewater Treatment Plant.

• The Project: This involves decommissioning the existing lagoon system and replacing it with a modern wastewater treatment plant.

• Technology: The new plant will include primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes.

• Purpose: The upgrade is a regulatory requirement from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), specifically aimed at improving ammonia removal to protect local water quality.

• Status: As of recent reports, this project is in the design phase.

 

Financial Context & Rates

 

If you are a resident or property owner in the area, you should be aware of the broader financial changes affecting these systems:

• Rate Increases: To fund these significant capital investments (system replacement and expansion), Loudoun Water approved a 7.0% annual increase in water and sewer rates for 2025, 2026, and 2027.

• Drivers: These increases are largely driven by the high cost of infrastructure projects like the St. Louis WWTP upgrade and escalating costs for power and treatment chemicals.

 

Quick Reference Table

 

          Project Component                          Current Status                                       Primary Goal

​

          New Treatment Plant                       In Design                                                  VDEQ Compliance (Ammonia removal)

​

           Lagoon Decommissioning             Planned                                                  Modernizing aging infrastructure

 

          St. Louis Village Plan                         Approved/Implementing                 Funding water improvements & guiding growth

 

          Usage Rates (2026)                           7% Increase                                           Funding repair, replacement, and expansion

​​

​

As part of the St. Louis Village Plan approved in September 2025, the county has moved from broad observation to active, individual-level drinking water support. The focus has shifted toward addressing the specific vulnerability of the village’s private well system.

​

Here are the specific initiatives currently underway or planned:

 

1. Water Feasibility Study (Community-Led)

 

The county has established a formal pathway for the St. Louis community to transition from private wells to a more reliable, potentially centralized system.

​

• The Threshold: For the county to officially step in with a permanent infrastructure solution, at least 60% of property owners must sign a petition supporting the request.

• The Study’s Scope: Once initiated, the study evaluates existing well conditions, identifies specific contaminants or yield issues, and outlines the engineering steps and costs required to resolve them.

 

2. Individual Well Water Testing Program

 

To gather data for the Village Plan, the county launched a localized testing initiative to help residents understand exactly what is in their water.

​

• What is Tested: The program examines 14 different parameters, including common local concerns like iron, manganese, lead, arsenic, and total coliform bacteria.

• Purpose: This data is being used to determine if specific clusters of homes are facing "deficient" water systems, which qualifies them for higher-priority county assistance.

 

3. Addressing Groundwater Fragility

 

A major driver for these initiatives is the "fragile" nature of the local aquifer.

​

• Development Pressure: Past concerns regarding new developments (like the previously proposed 27-home Mojax project) highlighted the risk of existing shallow wells going dry.

• Mitigation: The county is looking at zoning and "Land Use and Development" amendments to ensure that any new construction doesn't compromise the water table for established residents.

 

4. Funding Alternatives

​

Because connecting to a central system can be prohibitively expensive for individual homeowners, the Village Plan includes a search for alternative funding:

​

• State & Federal Grants: The county is exploring Virginia Department of Health (VDH) grants and federal infrastructure funds specifically designated for "disadvantaged" or historic communities with water quality issues.

• County Support: The Board of Supervisors has directed staff to find ways to subsidize the cost of these individual solutions so that the financial burden doesn't fall solely on the property owners.

 

Note: If you are a property owner in St. Louis and haven't participated in the recent well-testing rounds, you can contact the Loudoun County Health Department or the Department of General Services to see if you are eligible for the next phase of the Water and Wastewater Program assistance.

​