SB 923 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Virginia Water Protection Permit; interbasin transfers of water prohibited.

Summary

Virginia Water Protection Permit; interbasin transfers of water prohibited. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing a Virginia Water Protection Permit for a surface water withdrawal if more than five percent of the nonconsumptive volume of such withdrawal will be returned to a different major river basin, as defined in the bill. The bill clarifies that such prohibition does not apply to any lawful withdrawal in existence on July 1, 2025.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 6, 2025 Last action Feb 5, 2025

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended from its original introduction to a Senate substitute version. The main substantive change is in subsection D regarding interbasin water transfers: the threshold changed from a percentage-based limit (more than five percent of nonconsumptive volume) to a volume-based limit (more than six million gallons per day). The bill also added a sunset provision to the title and modified the effective date reference. These changes affect how the Department of Environmental Quality regulates water withdrawals that cross river basin boundaries.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding interbasin water transfers was modified from a percentage-based restriction to a fixed volume-based restriction, which significantly changes which water withdrawal projects would be prohibited.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the interbasin transfer prohibition threshold from 'more than five percent of nonconsumptive volume' to 'more than six million gallons of water per day'

Added language encouraging the Department to develop criteria for considering permit applications that propose interbasin transfers

TIMELINE

Added 'sunset' to the bill title indicating the law will expire after a certain period

TECHNICAL

Changed the effective date reference from 'July 1, 2025' to no specific date in the substitute version

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors