Water Resources Monitoring

Surface water and groundwater - and the precipitation that replenishes them are critical to the economic and environmental health of Loudoun County. We rely on abundant supplies of clean, safe water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and recreation, as well as to support the natural ecosystems. Because of the importance of water to our daily lives, the Department of Building and Development developed a program to collect information on the quantity and quality of water in the county.

Hydrologic Cycle

Our water resources are all linked through the hydrologic cycle, as illustrated in the image from the National Weather Service. The natural movement of water from the atmosphere to the land surface occurs as precipitation, which then feeds our:

  • Groundwater aquifers
  • Lakes
  • Oceans
  • Soils
  • Streams
  • Wetlands
Hydrologic Cycle Illustration

Eventually, the water evaporates (or transpires from plants) and returns back to the atmosphere.

Water Resources Monitoring Program

The county's economy and natural systems would be at risk without abundant, clean water. To help track the amount and quality of water resources in Loudoun County, the Water Resources Monitoring Program (WRMP) was initiated in the Department of Building and Development in 2001 at the direction of the Board of Supervisors. A grant obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has helped fund development of the program. The WRMP tracks precipitation and the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater in the county. The county staff members that manage the WRMP are from the Water Resources Team in the Department of Building and Development. A county staff report (PDF) summarizing the project work that established the WRMP program was presented to the Board of Supervisors' Transportation and Land Use Committee in May 2010. Included as one of its attachments was the grant project completion report that was submitted to EPA in December 2009 upon completion of the grant.