State Water Plan Summary –Virginia

John Hudak and Matthew Pafford

March 2, 2015

  • Plan Organization: The State Water Plan is currently under development. The concept for development is to combine information from local and regional water supply plans with state water resource information. Required information includes water withdrawal and use estimates, and projections for significant water users, estimate of minimum in-stream flows necessary to maintain water quality and maintain aquatic life in streams, bays, and estuaries, evaluation of the ability of existing water resources to meet current and future uses, including minimum in-stream flows, during drought conditions, evaluation of current and future ability of public water systems to provide adequate water quantity and quality, identification of water management problems and alternatives for addressing such problems, and an evaluation of each alternative management strategy identified.
  • These plans and programs shall be prepared for each major river basin of this Commonwealth, and appropriate subbasins therein and annual reports for each basin shall be published by the State Water Control Board (SWCB). § 62.1-44.38
  • Process: The Code of Virginia as amended in 2003 (Section62.1-44.38:1) requires the State Water Control Board (seven governor appointed citizens) to develop a comprehensive statewide water supply planning process to (1) ensure that adequate and safe drinking water is available to all citizens of the Commonwealth, (2) encourage, promote, and protect all other beneficial uses of the commonwealth's water resources, and (3) encourage, promote, and develop incentives for alternative water sources, including, but not limited to desalinization.
  • The Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation (9VAC25-780), became effective in 2005 and requires that all counties, cities, and towns submit a local water supply plan or participate in the submittal of a regional water supply plan to the State Water Control Board. The State Water Control Board is responsible for administering the Virginia Water Control Law, including adopting regulations and resolving conflicts § 62.1-44.37. The Board is also authorized to represent the State in federal and interstate matters regarding water use and conservation § 62.1-44.41. Day to day administration is delegated to the Department of Environmental Quality Office of Water Supply. A relational database was constructed to organize and analyze data submitted with 10 local and 38 regional water supply plans and was used to prepare a draft State Water Resources Plan.
  • Models: DEQ staff has developed and maintained an operational model covering all streams and large impoundments in the Commonwealth for the purpose of performing a Cumulative Impact Analysis for surface water withdrawal permit applications. Each new or renewing permit is analyzed with the modeling system for its potential to impact downstream beneficial uses, and for its susceptibility to impacts from other water users located upstream. DEQ Staff use the output of these models to arrive at a set of operational rules that minimize impacts on all beneficial uses.
  • Registrations/Water Rights: DEQ administers a permit program for surface water withdrawals under the Virginia Surface Protection Permit program, which also includes activities such as dredging, filling, discharging, and impounding surface waters. There is a long list of exempted activities including grandfathering of pre-existing withdrawals and withdrawals from nontidal waters less than 10,000 gpd, and more relaxed requirements for agricultural activities. Annual reporting is required for withdrawals exceeding an average of 10,000 gpd in any month, except for crop irrigators which are only required to report withdrawals exceeding 1 million gallons in any single month. Groundwater permitting is required in two Groundwater Management Areas in the State for all persons withdrawing 300,000 gallons in any month. Existing groundwater users are granted limits related to historic withdrawal amounts for the first permit term and are charged a lower application fee, as well as reduced submittal requirements.

More information

State Water Plan Summary : DEQ Report, Virginia’s Water Resources Management Activities:

§62.1-44.38:1. Comprehensive water supply planning process; state, regional and local water supply plans:

Water supply planning overview:

Fact sheet, withdrawing surface water:

Groundwater withdrawal permitting fact sheet:

State Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee

State Water Control Board Overview

Appendices (from Annual Report)