Virginia Law

Unless otherwise defined in this chapter or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms used in this chapter shall have the meanings ascribed to them by the State Water Control Law, Chapter 3.1 (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.) of Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia; the Ground Water Management Act of 1992, Chapter 25 (§ 62.1-254 et seq.) of Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia; the Virginia Water Protection Permit Program Regulation, 9VAC25-210; and the Surface Water Management Area Regulation, 9VAC25-220, including any general permits issued thereunder.

"Beneficial use" has the meaning defined in 9VAC25-210-10 with respect to surface water and the meaning defined in 9VAC25-610-10 with respect to groundwater.

"Board" means the State Water Control Board.

"Community water system" means a waterworks that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents and is regulated by the Virginia Department of Health Waterworks Regulations (12VAC5-590).

"Department" means the Department of Environmental Quality.

"Local government" means a city, incorporated town, or county.

"Planning period" means the 30-year timeframe used by the local governments and regional planning units to project future water demand in accordance with 9VAC25-780-100 B.

"Regional planning area" means the geographical area as defined by 9VAC25-780-45 that is included in a regional water supply plan.

"Regional planning unit" means a collection of local governments, water authorities, and participating stakeholders that shall develop and submit a regional water supply plan. Planning district commissions are encouraged to participate in the regional planning unit.

"Regional water supply plan" means the document developed by a regional planning unit for a regional planning area in compliance with 9VAC25-780-50 D.

"Self-supplied user" means any person making a withdrawal of surface water or groundwater from an original source (e.g., a river, stream, lake, aquifer, or reservoir fed by any such water body) for their own use.

"Service area" means the geographical area served by a community water system.

"Stakeholder" includes industrial and agricultural water users, public water authorities, private water suppliers, developers and economic development organizations, and conservation and environmental organizations.

"State Water Resources and Supply Plan" is a plan developed to address the criteria of § 62.1-44.38 B of the Code of Virginia using information developed by local governments and used to develop regional water supply plans.

"Technical evaluation committee" means a committee of state agencies, including the Virginia Department of Health, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Marine Resources Commission, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Department of Wildlife Resources, convened by the Department of Environmental Quality to provide comments on the impacts to or conflicts among beneficial uses resulting from proposed alternatives for meeting projected water demands.

"Unaccounted for water" means the difference between a community water system's billing records for volumes of water distributed and production records for volumes of water treated.

"Water authority" means a water supply entity created under Chapter 51 (§ 15.2-5100 et seq.) of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia.

"Water conservation" means practices, techniques, and technologies that improve the efficiency of water use.

"Water demand management" means plans for improving water use efficiency through water conservation, reuse, and reducing unaccounted for water losses.

"Water sources" means wells, stream intakes, springs, reservoirs, or aquifers that serve as sources of water supplies.

"Water supply risk" refers to a future circumstance or event that may reasonably impair the ability of one or more local governments, water authorities, or community water systems in the water planning area to meet current or projected water demand within the planning period. Water supply risks do not include (i) minor, infrequent, and temporary interruptions to the available water supply or water quality that may be remedied through the normal operation and maintenance of water supply systems; (ii) projected deficits in water supplies identified in accordance with the requirements of 9VAC25-780-100 I; or (iii) potential events or circumstances that are not reasonably foreseeable to occur within the planning period.