Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia SB553: An Act to amend and reenact § 62.1-44.38 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers.
Status: Chaptered, April 13, 2026
Certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. Requires any water user required to register water withdrawal and use data to the State Water Control Board that provides water to another person offsite to include in its report, submitted on its regular reporting schedule, the total volume of potable water and, reported separately, the total volume of reclaimed water, as defined in the bill, provided during each month for each of the following categories: (i) a data center with an air permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality and (ii) to the extent available without utility billing system modifications, (a) domestic purposes, (b) commercial and industrial purposes, separately or combined as available, and (c) all other non-categorized purposes. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 496.
What the bill says
An Act to amend and reenact § 62.1-44.38 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. [S 553] Approved April 13, 2026 1. That § 62.1-44.38 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as registration of certain data by water users; advisory committees; committee membership for federal, state, and local agencies; water supply planning assistance. A. The Board shall prepare plans and programs for the management of the water resources of the Commonwealth in such a manner as to.
From the enrolled text, April 13, 2026:
An Act to amend and reenact § 62.1-44.38 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain data from water users; water use consumption for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes and from data centers. [S 553] Approved April 13, 2026 1. That § 62.1-44.38 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as registration of certain data by water users; advisory committees; committee membership for federal, state, and local agencies; water supply planning assistance. A. The Board shall prepare plans and programs for the management of the water resources of the Commonwealth in such a manner as to encourage, promote, and secure the maximum beneficial use and control thereof. These plans and programs shall be prepared for each major river basin of the Commonwealth, and appropriate subbasins therein, including specifically the Potomac-Shenandoah River Basin, the Rappahannock River Basin, the York River Basin, the James River Basin, the Chowan River Basin, the Roanoke River Basin, the New River Basin, and the Tennessee-Big Sandy River Basin, and for those areas in the Tidewater and elsewhere in the Commonwealth not within these major river basins. Reports for each basin shall be published by the Board. B. 1. In preparing river basin plan and program reports enumerated in subsection A, the Board shall (i) estimate current water withdrawals and use for agriculture, industry, domestic …