Source Water Programs

Afternoon glance of the James River from US 501
Afternoon glance of the James River from US 501; photo by Roy Soto

The Commonwealth of Virginia has an estimated population of 8.51 million people (U.S. Census 2018 estimate). Over 80% of the population’s need for drinking water is served by public water systems (waterworks) regulated by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water (ODW).

There are more than 1,100 Community waterworks withdrawing water from

  • 170+ surface water intakes (about 1/3 on lakes & reservoirs, and 2/3 on rivers & streams)
  • 1,780+ groundwater wells

Localities, utilities and consumers can implement source water protection measures to increase the sustainability of their drinking water sources by reducing or preventing contaminants from entering our streams and aquifers.

We need to be mindful of our actions and how we can help avoid or minimize detrimental impacts to water sources. Taking a proactive stance towards source water protection not only protects our health but translates into savings.

Below is a list of links to ODW’s Source Water Programs.  We encourage you to learn more about them.

 

Still have questions about ODW’s Source Water Programs? Contact us!