Virginia Law

A. The owner of the reclamation system and the owner of the reclaimed water distribution system or the reclaimed water agent shall obtain a VPDES or VPA permit to produce and distribute reclaimed water, unless otherwise excluded from the requirements of this chapter under 9VAC25-740-50 A. Where both the reclamation system and the reclaimed water distribution system are under common ownership and management, one permit may be issued to the owner. Permit coverage may be provided through modification or reissuance of an existing VPA permit, or reissuance of or administrative authorization for an existing VPDES permit to include standards, monitoring requirements and special conditions that address water reclamation and reuse.

B. The owner of a satellite reclamation system (SRS) shall obtain a VPA permit. Alternatively and at the discretion of the department, a SRS may be authorized under a VPA or VPDES permit issued to a wastewater treatment works that is under common ownership or management with the SRS and receives wastewater and residuals discharged by the SRS.

C. Each end user shall enter into a service agreement or contract with all reclaimed water agents from which the end user receives reclaimed water prior to receipt of such water. Monitoring and management of individual end users shall be by the reclaimed water agents with whom the end users have a service connection, and through the service agreements or contracts between the reclaimed water agents and the individual end users unless affected by a permit issued to an end user as described in subsection F of this section.

D. Where a reclamation system and a reclaimed water distribution system that receives reclaimed water from the reclamation system are under separate ownership and management, and the reclaimed water distribution system does not distribute reclaimed water to end users other than to the owner or management of that system, the reclaimed water distribution system may not require a permit provided a service agreement or contract is established between the reclamation system and the reclaimed water distribution system.

E. A separate permit may be required for end users receiving reclaimed water directly from more than one reclamation system, SRS, reclaimed water distribution system, or a combination thereof. An end user may be authorized under the permit issued to one of the reclamation systems, SRSs, or reclaimed water distribution systems that supply reclaimed water to the end user, provided the end user is under common ownership or management with the permitted system.

F. Property irrigated with reclaimed water from a reclamation system, SRS, or reclaimed water distribution system under common ownership or management with that property, shall be regulated by the permit issued to the reclamation system, SRS, or reclaimed water distribution system providing reclaimed water to the irrigated property.

G. A reclamation system shall not discharge reclaimed or reject water to surface waters of the state in lieu of providing storage, discharging to another permitted reuse system, if applicable; returning reclaimed or reject water to a wastewater treatment works; or suspending production of reclaimed water; without authorization to discharge under a VPDES permit.