Virginia senators urge special session to address groundwater report

Maggie Allwein, The Virginian-Pilot on Aug 3, 2026

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Virginia legislators urged Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call the General Assembly into a special session to address the Department of Environmental Quality’s Groundwater Supply report released in July.

In a joint letter sent last week by Sens. Russet Perry, D-Leesburg, and Richard Stuart, R-Montross, the legislators referred to the report’s findings as “deeply alarming” and signals an “immediate strain” to the state’s groundwater resources.

“The risks detailed in this report are too dire to ask Virginians to wait another year, and the timing of the report’s release makes immediate action necessary,” the letter reads.

The letter comes after DEQ released a report of 100-plus pages detailing the risks for increased saltwater intrusion in drinking wells and the stability of aquifer recharge projects. The report also finds that the Potomac Aquifer, the primary drinking water source for about 4 million Virginians, could enter a period of decline in the next five to 10 years.

The special session, according to the letter, should consider the recommendations listed in the DEQ report. The letter mentions “strengthening DEQ’s authority over groundwater withdrawal permits, requiring greater consideration of alternative water sources, improving monitoring and enforcement, and tying local development planning to groundwater availability.”

Stuart led legislation in 2024 that required DEQ to complete a one-year study of the state’s groundwater supply. Meetings were required to end November 30, 2025. The findings were due to Spanberger and the General Assembly by Jan. 14, but weren’t received until July.

A spokesperson for Spanberger did not respond for a request for comment by deadline Monday.

The letter asserts that several legislative and budget decisions would have been different if the General Assembly had reviewed the research and recommendations by the due date. It also acknowledged that Spanberger’s office may already be considering a special session, and expressed readiness to assist.

Republican lawmakers have also asked Spanberger to consider calling a special session related to review of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest electric utility, and Florida-based NextEra Energy. If the Virginia SCC and other equivalent regulatory bodies in North Carolina, South Carolina and at the federal level approve the $67 billion deal, the merger would create the world’s largest regulated electric utility.

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