Prolonged periods of drought have environmental, economical and social consequences. Droughts directly affect both the quantity and quality of drinking water supplies.
The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water (VDH-ODW) is one of 12 partners monitoring drought conditions and its effects in the Commonwealth of Virginia guided by the Virginia Drought Assessment and Response Plan. These monitoring efforts are led by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) through a group called the Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF).
Under the DMTF, the VDH-ODW is responsible for monitoring and reporting the operational status of waterworks as it relates to drought conditions.
ODW’s DMTF Latest Report
As of 2/3/25:
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Town of Strasburg Voluntary conservation, PWSID 2171750,
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The Town of Purcellville (PWSID 6107600) has moved from voluntary to mandatory water restrictions.
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The Town of Round Hill (PWSID 6107650) has a long-standing call for voluntary conservation.
VDH-ODW’s Drought Monitoring map and trend are illustrated below. The map reflects the percentage of public water sources operating under drought restrictions within the main river basins of Virginia.
Click here to access the January 2026 Drought Summary Report
Other useful links
- EPA Tools on Drought Response and Recovery for Water Utilities
- USGS Surface Water real-time stream flows