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The Virginia Beach shallow ground-water study

Fact Sheet 173-99
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/fs17399

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Introduction

Virginia Beach is a rapidly growing city of more than 425,000 people. Sources of fresh water within the city, however, are limited. Prior to 1998, the Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department met the city's water needs by purchasing treated drinking water from the City of Norfolk. Because Norfolk had to meet its own requirements, the amount of water available to Virginia Beach was limited to about 30 million gallons per day (mgd) and even less during droughts. This water supply was supplemented with ground water from city-owned, community, and private wells. In many parts of the city, however, ground water cannot be used because of high concentrations of chloride, iron, and (or) sulfur, which give the water an unpleasant taste.

In early 1998, a pipeline came on-line that can carry up to 45 mgd of water from Lake Gaston to Virginia Beach. The Gaston pipeline has alleviated concerns about water supply and quality for most residents living north of the "Green Line." These residents primarily use ground water only for small-scale domestic activities such as watering lawns, filling ponds and pools, and washing cars. City water and sewer services have been extended beyond the Green Line into the "Transition Area." Residents and businesses south of the Transition Area, however, continue to rely on ground water to meet most of their needs for potable and non-potable water. To help assure a continued, reliable supply of ground water, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department, has begun an assessment of the shallow ground-water resources underlying the City of Virginia Beach.

Suggested Citation

Johnson, H.M., IV., 1999, The Virginia Beach shallow ground-water study: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 1999-0173, 2 p., http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs17399.

ISSN: 2327-6932 (online)

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • South Virginia Beach
  • North Virginia Beach
  • Ground Water Quality
  • The Study
  • References
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title The Virginia Beach shallow ground-water study
Series title Fact Sheet
Series number 173-99
DOI 10.3133/fs17399
Year Published 1999
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Virginia Water Science Center
Description 2 p.
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details