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Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation Guidance Draft Posted on Virginia Town Hall
DEQ Water Supply Planning & Analysis staff are pleased to announce that the draft guidance document designed to accompany the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning regulation (9VAC25-780) has been posted on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall for a 30-day formal comment period. The formal comment period began on September 8, 2025, and will end on October 8, 2025. Interested parties may submit their comments on the draft guidance document through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website.
The resources referenced within the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning regulation guidance document are linked here and in the “Web Links and Resources” section (located at the bottom of this webpage).
Preparation and Submission Checklist (Form 50)
Water Demand Management Information (Form 110)
Water Supply Risks and Strategies (Form 125)
In addition to the above resources, DEQ Water Supply Planning & Analysis staff distributed Excel Workbook 70-80-100 directly to RPU Representatives in June of 2025. More information on this resource can be found in the “Excel Workbook 70-80-100 Webinar” section of this webpage.
Excel Workbook 70-80-100 Webinar (7/8/2025)
Click HERE to view the webinar recording
Click HERE to view a copy of the webinar slides
Please consider utilizing data and resources produced by the groups below in the review and completion of Excel Workbook 70-80-100.
- Virginia Department of Health (https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/)
- Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/)
- Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (https://vaswcd.org/)
- Virginia Rural Water Association (https://www.vrwa.org/)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension (https://ext.vt.edu/)
- Virginia Farm Bureau (https://www.vafb.com/)
- Virginia Economic Development Partnership (https://www.vedp.org/)
- University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service (https://www.coopercenter.org/virginia-population-estimates)
Funding
Funding was established by a budget amendment in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Session, appropriating $462,000 in grant funds to be allocated over two years for eligible activities proposed by the 26 Regional Planning Units designated by 9VAC25-780-45. Out of the amount appropriated, $231,000 is available for FY2025 and $231,000 is available for FY2026.
The FY2025 Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Grants Program application period closed on 3/31/2025. A copy of the FY2025 application package is linked HERE, for reference.
DEQ Water Supply Planning staff are pleased to announce the upcoming 2026 Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Grants Program. The application period will open Monday, September 29, 2025, and will close on Friday, October 24, 2025. The application package will be available below at the start of the application period (September 29, 2025).
FY2026 RFA: Coming soon…
FY2026 Application Package: Coming soon…
Request for Reassignment Update (6/18/2025)
The request for reassignment process is ongoing; some requests have been approved. Approved reassignment requests are listed below:
The RPU Representative Contact Sheet and Regional Planning Areas Map have been updated to reflect approved reassignments as of 6/18/2025.
- New Kent County- reassignment from York and James River 1 to York and James River 2 (effective 2/14/2025)
- King William County & Town of West Point- reassignment from York and James River 1 to Northern Coastal Plain 2 (effective 2/14/2025)
- Rockbridge County, City of Lexington, City of Buena Vista, Town of Goshen, & Town of Glasgow- reassignment from Upper James River 2 to Upper James River 1 (effective 2/14/2025)
- Surry County, Town of Claremont, Town of Dendron, & Town of Surry- reassignment from Chowan River 2 to Southeast Virginia (effective 2/26/2025)
- Alleghany County, City of Covington, and the Towns of Clifton Forge and Iron Gate- reassignment from Upper James River 1 to Upper James River 2 (effective 3/25/2025)
- Floyd County & Town of Floyd- reassignment from New River 2 to New River 1 (effective 4/8/2025)
- Bland County- reassignment from New River 1 to New River 2 (effective 4/8/2025)
- Charles City County- reassignment from York and James River 1 to Middle James River 3 (effective 5/7/2025)
- Please note that the York and James River 1 RPA has been dissolved due to the approved reassignments of Charles City County, King William County, and New Kent County
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Brunswick County, Town of Alberta, Town of Brodnax & Town of Lawrenceville- reassignment from Chowan River 1 to Roanoke River 3 (effective 6/18/2025)
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Charlotte County, Town of Charlotte Court House, Town of Drakes Branch, Town of Keysville, & Town of Phenix- reassignment from Roanoke River 3 to Chowan River 1 (effective 6/18/2025)
What is a Water Supply Plan?
The Local and Regional Water Supply Planning regulation (9VAC25-780) designates Regional Planning Areas (RPAs) for each locality in Virginia. The regulation requires each locality in an RPA to assist its Regional Planning Unit (RPU) in developing and submitting a single jointly produced regional water supply plan (Plan) to DEQ within five years from the effective date of the regulation, October 9, 2029. Plans include information on water sources, water use, and water resources, as well as water demand projections, water management actions, drought response and contingency plans, and the identification of water supply risks and proposal of regional strategies to address such risks.
Amended Water Supply Planning Regulation (9VAC25-780)
Amendments to the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation (9VAC25-780) became effective on October 9, 2024. Section 62.1-44:38:1 of the Code of Virginia, which was amended primarily by Chapter 1105 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly, changed certain aspects of the comprehensive water supply planning process. The statute directed the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations designating Regional Planning Areas based primarily on river basins. Adopted regulations additionally identified the particular Regional Planning Area in which each locality shall participate. Section 62.1-44.38:1 now requires localities within a Regional Planning Area to submit a single, jointly developed regional water supply plan, and requires that regional water supply plans identify water supply risks and propose regional strategies to address these risks.
Important Dates
September 9, 2024 - Amendments Approved
- Amendments to 9VAC25-780 were approved and posted in the Virginia Register on September 9, 2024.
October 9, 2024 - Amendments Effective
- Amendments to 9VAC25-780 became effective on October 9, 2024.
December 8, 2024 - Contact Submission Deadline
- 9VAC25-780 Section 50.B.1 requires each local government and water authority to submit contact information for a primary representative and one or more alternates by December 8, 2024.
- Remaining contact information can be submitted via email to watersupplyplanning@deq.virginia.gov.
April 7, 2025 - Kickoff Meeting Deadline
- 9VAC25-780 Section 50.B.2 requires kickoff meetings to be to be convened with each Regional Planning Unit by April 7, 2025.
- For more information, visit the Water Supply Planning Meetings webpage.
October 9, 2029 - Plan Submission Deadline
- 9VAC25-780 Section 50.A requires regional water supply plans to be submitted to DEQ by October 9, 2029.
Web Links and Resources
The section below lists web links and optional resources, organized by regulatory section, to support Regional Planning Units in the development of regional water supply plans.
Click any available regulatory section below to expand the box and view relevant web links and optional resources.