A. The Board upon its own motion or, in its discretion, upon receipt of a petition by any county, city or town within the area in question, may initiate a ground water management area proceeding, whenever in its judgment there may be reason to believe that:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 62.1-257

  • Board: means the State Water Control Board. See Virginia Code 62.1-255
  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Ground water: means any water, except capillary moisture, beneath the land surface in the zone of saturation or beneath the bed of any stream, lake, reservoir or other body of surface water wholly or partially within the boundaries of the Commonwealth, whatever the subsurface geologic structure in which such water stands, flows, percolates or otherwise occurs. See Virginia Code 62.1-255
  • Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
  • Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254

1. Ground water levels in the area are declining or are expected to decline excessively;

2. The wells of two or more ground water users within the area are interfering or may reasonably be expected to interfere substantially with one another;

3. The available ground water supply has been or may be overdrawn; or

4. The ground water in the area has been or may become polluted. Such pollution includes any alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of ground water which has a harmful or detrimental effect on the quality or quantity of such waters.

B. If the Board finds that any one of the conditions required above exists, and further finds that the public welfare, safety and health require that regulatory efforts be initiated, the Board shall by regulation declare the area in question to be a ground water management area. The Board shall include in its regulation a definition of the boundaries of the ground water management area. The Board shall mail a copy of the regulation to the mayor or chairman of the governing body of each county, city or town within which any part of the area lies.

1992, c. 812.

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 25 Contents