Virginia Law

Persons withdrawing groundwater or who have rights to withdraw groundwater prior to July 1, 1992, in the Eastern Virginia or Eastern Shore Groundwater Management Areas and not excluded from requirements of this chapter by 9VAC25-610-50 shall apply for a permit.

1. Any person who was issued a certificate of groundwater right or a permit to withdraw groundwater prior to July 1, 1991, and who was withdrawing groundwater pursuant to said permit or certificate on July 1, 1992, shall file an application on or before December 31, 1992, to continue said withdrawal. The applicant shall demonstrate the claimed prior withdrawals through withdrawal reports required by the existing certificate or permit or by reports required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations) (9VAC25-200).

2. Any person who was issued a certificate of groundwater right or a permit to withdraw groundwater prior to July 1, 1991, and who had not initiated the withdrawal prior to July 1, 1992, may initiate a withdrawal on or after July 1, 1992, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the certificate or permit and shall file an application for a groundwater withdrawal permit on or before December 31, 1995, to continue said withdrawal. The applicant shall demonstrate the claimed prior withdrawals through withdrawal reports required by the existing certificate or permit or by reports required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations (9VAC25-200).

3. Any person who was issued a permit to withdraw groundwater on or after July 1, 1991, and prior to July 1, 1992, shall not be required to apply for a groundwater withdrawal permit until the expiration of the permit to withdraw groundwater or 10 years from the date of issuance of the permit to withdraw groundwater whichever occurs first. Such persons shall reapply for a groundwater withdrawal permit as described in 9VAC25-610-96.

4. Any person withdrawing groundwater for agricultural or livestock watering purposes on or before July 1, 1992, shall file an application for a groundwater withdrawal permit on or before December 31, 1993. The applicant shall demonstrate the claimed prior withdrawals by voluntary withdrawal reports required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations) (9VAC25-200) when such reports have been filed with the board. When such reports are not available, estimates of withdrawal will be accepted that are based on the area irrigated, depth of irrigation, and annual number of irrigations; pumping capacity and annual pumping time; annual energy consumption for pumps, energy consumption per hour, and pumping capacity; number and type of livestock watered annually; number and type of livestock where water is used for cooling purposes; or other methods approved by the department.

5. Any political subdivision, or authority serving a political subdivision, holding a certificate of groundwater right or a permit to withdraw groundwater issued prior to July 1, 1992, for the operation of a public water supply well for the purpose of providing supplemental water during drought conditions, shall file an application on or before December 31, 1992. Any political subdivision, or authority serving a political subdivision, shall submit, as part of the application, a water conservation and management plan as described in 9VAC25-610-100 B.

6. Any person who is required to apply in subdivision 1, 2, or 5 of this section and who uses the certificated or permitted withdrawal to operate a public water supply system shall provide a copy of the waterworks operation permit, or equivalent, with the required application for a groundwater withdrawal permit.

7. Any person described in subdivision 1, 2, 3, or 5 of this section who files a complete application by the date required may continue to withdraw groundwater pursuant to the existing certificate or permit until such time as the department takes action on the outstanding application for a groundwater withdrawal permit.

8. Any person described in subdivision 4 of this section who files a complete application by the date required may continue his existing withdrawal until such time as the department takes action on the outstanding application for a groundwater withdrawal permit.

9. Any person described in subdivision 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of this section who files an incomplete application by the date required may continue to withdraw groundwater as described in subdivisions 7 and 8 of this section provided that all information required to complete the application is provided to the department within 60 days of the department's notice to the applicant of deficiencies. Should such person not provide the department the required information within 60 days, he shall cease withdrawals until he provides any additional information to the department and the department concurs that the application is complete.

10. A complete application for those persons described in subdivision 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of this section shall contain:

a. The permit fee as required by the Fees for Permits and Certificates Regulations (9VAC25-20);

b. A groundwater withdrawal permit application completed in its entirety with all maps, attachments, and addenda that may be required. Application forms shall be submitted in a format specified by the department. Such application forms are available from the Department of Environmental Quality;

c. A signature as described in 9VAC25-610-150;

d. Well construction documentation for all wells associated with the application submitted on the Water Well Completion Report, Form GW2, which includes the following information:

(1) The depth of the well;

(2) The diameter, top and bottom, and material of each cased interval;

(3) The diameter, top and bottom, for each screened interval; and

(4) The depth of pump intake;

e. Locations of all wells associated with the application shown on United States Geological Survey 7-1/2 minute topographic maps. The applicant shall provide the latitude and longitude coordinates in a datum specified by the department for each existing and proposed well. The detailed location map shall be of sufficient detail such that all wells may be easily located for site inspection;

f. A map identifying the service areas for public water supplies;

g. Information on surface water and groundwater conjunctive use systems as described in 9VAC25-610-104 if applicable;

h. Persons described in subdivision 5 of this section shall submit a water conservation and management plan as described in 9VAC25-610-100;

i. Withdrawal reports required by the existing groundwater certificate or permit, reports required by Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulations (9VAC25-200), or estimates of withdrawals as described in subdivision 4 of this section to support any claimed prior withdrawal; and

j. A copy of the Virginia Department of Health waterworks operation permit, or equivalent, where applicable.

11. The department may waive the requirement for information listed in subdivision 10 of this section to be submitted if it has access to substantially identical information that remains accurate and relevant to the permit application.

12. Any person described in subdivision 1, 2, 3, or 5 of this section who fails to file an application by the date required creates the presumption that all claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned. Should any such person wish to rebut the presumption that claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned, he shall have filed an application with a letter of explanation to the board by November 21, 1993. Any such person failing to rebut the presumption that claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned who wishes to withdraw groundwater shall apply for a new withdrawal as described in 9VAC25-610-94.

13. Any person described in subdivision 4 of this section who fails to file an application by the date required creates the presumption that all claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned. Should any such person wish to rebut the presumption that claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned, he may do so by filing an application with a letter of explanation to the board within 60 days of the original required date or within 60 days of January 1, 1999, whichever is later. Any such person failing to rebut the presumption that claims to groundwater withdrawal based on historic use have been abandoned who wishes to withdraw groundwater shall apply for a new withdrawal as described in 9VAC25-610-94.