Special Planning Projects
Northern Virginia Regional Water Supply Plan
The Prince William County Board of County Supervisors approved the Northern Virginia Regional Water Supply Plan on Dec. 13, 2011.
In November 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted the Local and Regional Water Supply Planning Regulation (9 VAC 25-780-10). The legislation’s purpose is to: 1) Ensure that adequate and safe drinking water is available to all citizens of the Commonwealth; 2) Encourage, promote, and protect all other beneficial uses of the Commonwealth's water resources; and 3) Encourage, promote, and develop incentives for alternative water sources.
The regulation establishes the required planning process and criteria that local governments must use in the development of local or regional water supply plans. Water supply plans must encompass a planning horizon of 30 to 50 years and address both surface and groundwater use. In December 2006 the Board authorized entering into a memorandum of agreement between the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Interstate Commission On The Potomac River Basin, and the local governments of Northern Virginia for the development of a regional water supply plan (RWSP) in conformance with the Commonwealth Of Virginia’s regulation 9 VAC 25-780-10.
The Plan contains information on 1) Existing water sources; 2) Existing water use; 3) Existing water resource conditions; 4) An assessment of projected water demand; 5) A description of water management actions; 6) A statement of need if demands exceed source availability within the planning horizon; 7) An analysis of alternatives to address projected source water deficits; and 8) Maps detailing program elements.
The Northern Virginia Regional Water Supply Plan has been completed and must be adopted by all member jurisdictions and submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality. The complete plan may be viewed on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission's website at http://www.novaregion.org/index.aspx?NID=1214. The Plan includes a Drought Response Plan. Comments on the plan may be forwarded to the Planning Office using the Planning Office comment form.