Over pumping groundwater in the Coastal Plain: One states perspective

Virginia continues to see declining groundwater levels, increase in chloride concentrations, land subsidence, well interference, and loss of storage to its confined aquifers system in the Coastal Plain. With over a hundred years of research and monitoring in Virginia, documented concerns and trends lead to well capping laws, the creation of a Ground Water Management Act, and a regulatory framework for the establishment of management areas and permitting activities. However, 2010-2020 may be the most important decade for Virginia to decide on actions that result in long-term sustainability of groundwater in the Coastal Plain Aquifer System.

Since 2007, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has been actively implementing goals developed through strategic planning to reduce current use, promote greater water conservation measures, and increase hydrogeologic understanding and modeling capabilities that assist or promote innovative ways to manage groundwater in Virginia.

As a result of those initial actions, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has now embarked on the next step, the Virginia Coastal Plain Groundwater Initiative. The initiative includes modeling activities to evaluate the optimization of proposed reductions, an investigation into the economic impacts associated with those proposed reductions, and a 2015 legislative action resulting in the creation of the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Advisory Committee. The committee has been tasked with examining options for developing long-term alternative water sources and management structures along with other actions that may enhance the effectiveness of groundwater management.