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.
- Drought Monitoring Program
- Source Water Assessment Program (VDH-SWAP)
- Source Water Protection Program