STATE WATER CONTROL BOARD

Notice of Intended Regulatory Action Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the State Water Control Board intends to consider amending 9VAC25-780, Local and Regional Water Supply Planning. The purpose of the proposed action is to optimize the use of the state's water resources to achieve sufficient water supply to meet the needs of all beneficial uses of water through cost-effective regional approaches to meet future water supply needs. The regulatory action will implement the requirements of Chapter 1105 of the 2020 Acts of Assembly and establish regional planning areas based primarily on river basins and develop a set of regulatory requirements that result in improved cross-jurisdictional regional water supply planning. Amendments will (i) establish regional planning areas, identify the particular regional planning area in which each locality shall participate, and state which stakeholder groups shall or may participate in coordinated resource planning; (ii) establish frameworks for the Department of Environmental Quality to facilitate regional water planning efforts, ensure localities coordinate in the development of water supply plans, prioritize allocation of funding to localities that participate in regional planning, and provide estimates of water supply shortfalls for each locality and region; and (iii) require each regional water supply plan to clearly identify the region's water supply risks and propose cost-effective regional strategies to address those risks.

The agency does not intend to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 62.1-44.15 and 62.1-44.38:1 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: July 22, 2021.

Agency Contact: Ryan Green, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 1400, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 698-4248, or email ryan.green@deq.virginia.gov.