Local Water Quality

Hampton Roads Planning District is committed to providing localities with the best resources, information, and technical assistance related to local water quality. Reducing pollution in the form of high levels of nutrients, bacteria, sediment, and chemicals is critical to the health of our local waterways. A waterway in Virginia becomes impaired when monitoring results indicate failure to meet state water quality standards. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) then facilitates the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for various pollutants. HRPDC’s Water Resources Department coordinates with DEQ, Hampton Roads localities, and stakeholders to develop TMDL Implementation Plans and to conduct TMDL outreach activities. For more information on how to keep our waterways clean, check out askHRgreen.org’s knowledge center.

Many TMDLs, TMDL Implementation Plans, and TMDL Action Plans have been completed for waters located within or partially within the Hampton Roads region; others are under development. DEQ provides an interactive mapping application to view the water quality status of estuaries, reservoirs, and rivers based on their intended use. Currently the Hampton Roads region, including the Elizabeth and James River watersheds, is beginning to develop a TMDL for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). All information related to this TMDL can be found on DEQ’s PCB TMDL page.