{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-261.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-261.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-261.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-261.html"}],"law_id":67034,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67034,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-261","catch_line":"Duties of companies furnishing water or sewerage facilities","history":"1924, p. 690; 1928, p. 632; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 4073a; 2000, c. 183.","full_text":"Every public service corporation engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities to any city, incorporated town, or county having a population greater than 500 inhabitants per square mile as shown by United States census, in this Commonwealth or to inhabitants thereof (whether or not such business is conducted under or by virtue of a municipal franchise), shall furnish at all times and at a reasonable charge a supply of water, a system of distribution or disposal and services and facilities incidental to such supply, distribution or disposal sufficient and adequate to the protection of the health of such inhabitants and to the public health of the community, and any such water company shall furnish a supply of water adequate for proper fire protection within such city or town or such county and the adjacent territory served by the mains of such corporation. Each person operating a sewerage system which includes one or more sewage treatment plants shall notify in writing, the Commission, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and each electric or natural gas utility supplying or distributing energy to such system that such system includes a sewage treatment plant.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":242956,"text":"Every public service corporation engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities to any city, incorporated town, or county having a population greater than 500 inhabitants per square mile as shown by United States census, in this Commonwealth or to inhabitants thereof (whether or not such business is conducted under or by virtue of a municipal franchise), shall furnish at all times and at a reasonable charge a supply of water, a system of distribution or disposal and services and facilities incidental to such supply, distribution or disposal sufficient and adequate to the protection of the health of such inhabitants and to the public health of the community, and any such water company shall furnish a supply of water adequate for proper fire protection within such city or town or such county and the adjacent territory served by the mains of such corporation. Each person operating a sewerage system which includes one or more sewage treatment plants shall notify in writing, the Commission, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and each electric or natural gas utility supplying or distributing energy to such system that such system includes a sewage treatment plant.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13239,"edition_id":1,"name":"Water and Sewerage Companies","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13238,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":249085,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13239,"identifier":"6","token":"56\/10\/6","url":"\/56\/10\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13238,"edition_id":1,"name":"Heat, Light, Power, Water and Other Utility Companies Generally","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":248721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13238,"identifier":"10","token":"56\/10","url":"\/56\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":67034,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-261","catch_line":"Duties of companies furnishing water or sewerage facilities","url":"\/56-261\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261","metadata":false},{"id":82251,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-261.1","catch_line":"Duties of water and sewerage companies in certain counties","url":"\/56-261.1\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261.1","metadata":false},{"id":58928,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-261.2","catch_line":"Hydrant connections and water supply for fire protection in certain counties","url":"\/56-261.2\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261.2","metadata":false},{"id":71914,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-262","catch_line":"Proceeding upon failure of public service corporation to perform duties","url":"\/56-262\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-262","metadata":false},{"id":54242,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-263","catch_line":"Commission may order increase in service","url":"\/56-263\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-263","metadata":false},{"id":61830,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-264","catch_line":"Quo warranto in case of failure to comply with order of Commission","url":"\/56-264\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-264","metadata":false},{"id":54615,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-264.1","catch_line":"Collection of rates, fees and charges","url":"\/56-264.1\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-264.1","metadata":false},{"id":54297,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-264.2","catch_line":"Governing board of multistate entities operating certain sewage treatment facilities; arbitration of issues; condemnation of facilities","url":"\/56-264.2\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-264.2","metadata":false},{"id":81743,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-264.3","catch_line":"Cost allocation and rate design","url":"\/56-264.3\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-264.3","metadata":false},{"id":61263,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-265","catch_line":"Certain sections not to limit Commission's powers","url":"\/56-265\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-265","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":82251,"structure_id":13239,"section_number":"56-261.1","catch_line":"Duties of water and sewerage companies in certain counties","url":"\/56-261.1\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-261\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2000, chapter 183<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":74562,"section_number":"56-236.2","catch_line":"Suspension of service to sewerage system","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-236.2\/"},{"id":71914,"section_number":"56-262","catch_line":"Proceeding upon failure of public service corporation to perform duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-262\/"},{"id":54242,"section_number":"56-263","catch_line":"Commission may order increase in service","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-263\/"},{"id":61263,"section_number":"56-265","catch_line":"Certain sections not to limit Commission's powers","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-265\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":249087,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67034,"identifier":"56-261","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261","url":"\/56-261\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-261\/","token":"56\/10\/6\/56-261","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duties of companies furnishing water or sewerage facilities","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-261","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Every public service corporation<\/span> engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities to any city, incorporated town, or county having a population greater than 500 inhabitants per square mile as shown by United States census, in this Commonwealth or to inhabitants thereof (whether or not such business is conducted under or by virtue of a municipal franchise), shall furnish at all times and at a reasonable charge a supply of water, a system of distribution or disposal and services and facilities incidental to such supply, distribution or disposal sufficient and adequate to the protection of the health of such inhabitants and to the public health of the community, and any such water company<\/span> shall furnish a supply of water adequate for proper fire protection within such city or town or such county and the adjacent territory served by the mains of such corporation. Each person<\/span> operating a sewerage system which includes one or more sewage treatment plants shall notify in writing, the Commission<\/span>, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and each electric or natural gas utility supplying or distributing energy to such system that such system includes a sewage treatment plant.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTIES OF COMPANIES FURNISHING WATER OR SEWERAGE FACILITIES (\u00a7 56-261)\n\nEvery public service corporation engaged in the business of furnishing water or\nsewerage facilities to any city, incorporated town, or county having a\npopulation greater than 500 inhabitants per square mile as shown by United\nStates census, in this Commonwealth or to inhabitants thereof (whether or not\nsuch business is conducted under or by virtue of a municipal franchise), shall\nfurnish at all times and at a reasonable charge a supply of water, a system of\ndistribution or disposal and services and facilities incidental to such supply,\ndistribution or disposal sufficient and adequate to the protection of the health\nof such inhabitants and to the public health of the community, and any such\nwater company shall furnish a supply of water adequate for proper fire\nprotection within such city or town or such county and the adjacent territory\nserved by the mains of such corporation. Each person operating a sewerage system\nwhich includes one or more sewage treatment plants shall notify in writing, the\nCommission, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality and each\nelectric or natural gas utility supplying or distributing energy to such system\nthat such system includes a sewage treatment plant.\n\nHISTORY: 1924, p. 690; 1928, p. 632; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 4073a; 2000, c. 183.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}