GroundwaterVirginia










Bulletin Board

    Northumberland County Supervisors Approve Bluff Point PUD
    At its meeting on December 8th, 2011, the Northumberland County Board of
    Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve a special exceptions permit for the proposed
    Bluff Point PUD and specified Conditions required of the developer. Among these
    Conditions is a requirement intended to address the impact of groundwater
    withdrawals by the PUD. Unfortunately, the Condition is so poorly crafted--making
    neither scientific nor administrative sense--that it provides no protection to the
    wells and water supplies of households and communities in the vicinity of the PUD.
    CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO A CRITIQUE OF THE GROUNDWATER CONDITION

    Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Accepts Regional Water Supply
    PlanOn July 21, 2011, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission acted to:
    1) Accept the plan as meeting the requirement of the HRPDC work program; and 2)
    Distribute the Hampton Roads Regional Water Supply Plan to local governments
    for adoption. CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PLAN

    Northumberland County Supervisors Adopts Regional Water Supply Plan
    On July 14 the Northumberland County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the
    NNPDC Regional Water Plan. CLICK HERE FOR COPY OF PLAN
    Read Frank Fletcher's commentary on the water supply plan. CLICK HERE

    DEQ Constructed Two More Monitoring Wells on Surprise Hill
    On March 11 the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality awarded Water Well
    Solutions of Mechanicsville a contract to drill two new groundwater monitoring
    wells at the Surprise Hill station (Northumberland County). CLICK HERE FOR
    DETAILS

    DEQ Director 's Statement on Groundwater Management
    "Our goal," Director David Paylor has written, " is to maintain the long-term sustainability of this
    resource while allowing its use for growth and development."

    Groundwater Management  Update
     The Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP) appointed by Virginia DEQ to discuss the Notices of
    Intended Regulatory Action (NOIRA) to expand the Eastern Virginia Ground Water
    Management Area to include the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula and various changes in
    the groundwater withdrawal permitting process has completed its task.

    The revised regulation has died when the Governor refused
    to sign it. Click here for status. Watch for updates here.

    The current groundwater management regulations are found in 9 VAC 25-600 and 9 VAC 25-
    610. Presently, the only GWMAs are the Eastern Shore GWMA and the Eastern Virginia GWMA
    (see: GWMA map). For a detailed description of the revisions to Virginia groundwater
    management regulations, CLICK HERE.

    The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget has released an Economic Impact Analysis of
    the proposal to expand the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area.
    CLICK HERE

    State Water Supply Planning Regulation
    This regulation was developed to implement the mandate of Senate Bill 1221 (2003,
    c.227, SB1221), which requires that" "The Board, with the advice and guidance
    from the Commissioner of Health, local governments, public service authorities,
    and other interested parties, shall establish a comprehensive water supply
    planning process for the development of local, regional and state water supply
    plans consistent with the provisions of this chapter." Virginia's water quantity management is
    summarized by Scott Kudlas, director of water supply planning for VDEQ. CLICK HERE.

    State Water Supply Plan Advisory Committee; Senate Bill 569 established.
    Establishes the State Water Resources Plan Advisory Committee to assist the Department of
    Environmental Quality (DEQ) in the development and implementation of the state water
    resources plan. The Director of DEQ is to appoint the members of the Committee who will be
    representatives of various stakeholder groups, including water users, water providers,
    agricultural, conservation, and environmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and
    university faculty.

    Largest Water User on Virginia Coastal Plain Closes
    International Paper shuttered its Franklin (VA) paper mill in June. For decades the mill was that
    largest withdrawer of groundwater on the Virginia Coastal Plain, pumping as much as 35 million
    gallons of water a day. The mill stopped producing paper in May. The company has not yet
    announced plans for the plant. One option being entertained is to convert the facility to a power
    plant.

    Real-Time Groundwater Levels from the USGS (by county)
    This site displays groundwater hydrographs from 120 sites throughout Virginia. Scroll down to
    the county that you want and click on one of the well sites. Now included is the new
    groundwater observation well on Surprise Hill (Northumberland County).
    For a map showing the locations of the State Groundwater Observation Wells, click here.

    State Water Report 2009
    This annual report, submitted to the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly in
    accordance with Chapter 3.2 of Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia, describes the status of the
    Commonwealth’s surface and ground water resources, provides an overview of climate
    conditions and impacts on water supplies in the Commonwealth, and provides an update on
    the Commonwealth’s Water Resources Management Program for Calendar Year 2008.