Drought Warning Advisory Declared In Your Region

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality sent this bulletin at 07/19/2024 10:14 AM EDT

DEQ.Virginia.gov

July 19, 2024

DROUGHT WARNING ADVISORY DECLARATION

In response to existing conditions and to increase public awareness of an ongoing significant drought event the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a drought warning advisory for the following Drought Evaluation Regions:

Big Sandy: Lee, Wise, Buchanan, Dickenson, Scott, Russel, Tazewell, Washington, and Smyth Counties
New River: Grayson, Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Pulaski, Giles, and Montgomery Counties
Northern Piedmont: Greene, Madison, Rappahannock, Orange, Culpeper, Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Stafford Counties
Roanoke: Patrick, Franklin, Roanoke, Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Halifax, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg Counties
Upper James: Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Botetourt, and Rockbridge Counties
The following localities within the Middle James: Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, and Nelson Counties including the Cities of Charlottesville and Lynchburg

A drought warning advisory is intended to increase awareness that the indicators in Virginia's Drought Assessment and Response Plan have been met and the onset of a significant drought event is imminent.

The interagency Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force considered the following in declaring a Drought Warning advisory.

Much below average precipitation with June deficits setting new record low totals across much of Virginia.
Streamflow observed below the 5th percentile throughout the affected regions.
Groundwater levels for monitoring wells in the regions observed below the 5th percentile.
Much below normal soil moisture percentage with reported impacts to agriculture and crop producers in the regions.

With this advisory, DEQ is sending notifications to all local governments, public water works and private sector water users who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons per day in the affected areas, and is requesting that they immediately address the significant drought event. Local governments are encouraged to review existing ordinances requiring mandatory non-essential water use restrictions or adopt such ordinances. Through the drought warning advisory, Virginia is encouraging localities, public and private water suppliers and self-supplied water users in the affected localities to voluntarily take these steps to help protect current water supplies:

· Minimize nonessential water use, including the elimination of non-essential flushing of water lines.

· Review existing or develop new local water conservation and drought contingency plans and take conservation actions consistent with those plans.

· Include water conservation information on local websites and distribute water conservation information as broadly as possible.

· Initiate voluntary water conservation requirements contained in drought water conservation and contingency plans.

· Continue monitoring the condition of public waterworks and self-supplied water systems in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health.

· Impose mandatory water use restrictions if and when consistent with local water supply conditions.

· Aggressively pursue leak detection and repair programs.

The next stage after a drought warning would be a Drought Emergency, which would be declared via Executive Order by the Governor’s Office if conditions warrant. Drought emergency responses are required during the height of a significant drought events. Mandatory water conservation and contingency plans that are already in place or have been prepared during earlier drought stages must be implemented during a drought emergency. A list containing mandatory non-essential water use restrictions that become effective during a Drought Emergency is included in the Virginia's Drought Assessment and Response Plan and listed below. Mandatory water conservation activities generally result in water use reductions of 10-15%. According to the Virginia Drought Assessment and Response Plan, the declaration of a Drought Emergency requires the following specific actions by affected local governments and affected water users:

· All public waterworks and self-supplied water users who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons per day will initiate mandatory water conservation requirements contained in drought water conservation and contingency plans.

· All public waterworks and self-supplied water users who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons per day that have not developed drought water conservation and contingency plans should initiate mandatory non-essential water use restrictions, including the elimination of non-essential flushing of water lines.

· All self-supplied users who withdraw less than 10,000 gallons per day, including private well users, should initiate the mandatory non-essential water use restrictions.

· Local governments and public waterworks may impose water use restrictions more stringent than the attached mandatory non-essential water use restrictions, consistent with the local water supply conditions at any time.

· For the duration of the declared drought emergency the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality shall be authorized to allocate ground water and surface water resources and to restrict any withdrawals based upon the adequacy of the resource to meet the necessary beneficial uses as set forth in §62.1-44.36 of the Code of Virginia. Such allocations may apply to any withdrawer and shall over-ride any existing authorizations to use or withdraw surface water or ground water.

· For the duration of the declared drought emergency the State Forester shall be authorized to declare open burning bans in wildfire susceptible areas of the Commonwealth.

· For the duration of the declared drought emergency the Departments of State Police, Transportation and Motor Vehicles shall be authorized to grant temporary overweight/over width/registration/license exemptions to carriers transporting essential emergency relief supplies into and through the Commonwealth in order to support the disaster response and recovery.

· The Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP) Basic Plan, July 1997, as amended shall be implemented by agencies of the state and local government along with other appropriate state agency plans.

· The Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) and State Emergency Response Team (SERT) will be activated to coordinate state operations in support of affected localities and the Commonwealth, to include issuing mission assignments to agencies designated in the COVEOP and others that may be identified by the State Coordinator of Emergency Management, in consultation with the Secretary of Public Safety, which are needed to provide for the preservation of life, protection of property and implementation of recovery activities.

· Local governments of the Commonwealth will be authorized to adopt local ordinances to enforce the mandatory non-essential water use restrictions listed below and to establish, collect, and retain fines for violations of these restrictions. Nothing contained in this drought response plan should be construed to limit the powers of local government to adopt and enforce local emergency ordinances as necessary to protect the public welfare, safety and health.

Statewide information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ website.

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DEQ does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in administration of its programs or activities, and, DEQ does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in actions protected, or oppose action prohibited, by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights. Title VI Coordinator Melanie Davenport is responsible for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning non-discrimination requirements implemented by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7 (Non-discrimination in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency), including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (hereinafter referred to collectively as the federal non-discrimination laws). If you have any questions about this notice or any of DEQ's non-discrimination programs, policies or procedures, you may contact: Title VI Coordinator - Melanie Davenport; Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; P.O. Box 1105; Richmond, VA 23218; (804) 698-4000 (phone); (800) 592-5482 (toll-free); Melanie.Davenport@deq.virginia.gov.