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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58830</law_id><section_number>10.1-2117</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>10.1-1186.01</reference><reference>62.1-223.3</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="10.1">Conservation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Activities Administered by Other Entities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="21.1">Virginia Water Quality Improvement Act of 1997</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Biological <span class="dictionary">nutrient removal technology</span></span>&#x201D; means technology that will typically achieve at least an 8 mg/L total nitrogen concentration or at least a 1 mg/L total phosphorus concentration in effluent discharges.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Chesapeake Bay Agreement</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Chesapeake Bay Agreement</span> of 2000 and any amendments thereto.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Eligible nonsignificant discharger</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">publicly owned treatment works</span> that is not a <span class="dictionary">significant discharger</span> but due to expansion or new construction is subject to a technology-based standard under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="New or expanded facilities" href="/62.1-44.19_15/">62.1-44.19:15</a> or <a class="law" title="Technology-based standards and effluent limitations" href="/62.1-44.19_16/">62.1-44.19:16</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Fund</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia Water Quality Improvement <span class="dictionary">Fund</span> established by Article 4 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund established; purposes" href="/10.1-2128/">10.1-2128</a> et seq.).
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Individual</span>&#x201D; means any corporation, foundation, association or partnership or one or more natural persons.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Institutions of higher education</span>&#x201D; means any educational institution meeting the requirements of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Institution of higher education" href="/60.2-220/">60.2-220</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local government</span>&#x201D; means any county, city, town, municipal corporation, authority, district, commission or political subdivision of the Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Nonpoint source pollution</span>&#x201D; means pollution of <span class="dictionary">state waters</span> washed from the land surface in a diffuse manner and not resulting from a discernible, defined or discrete conveyance.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Nutrient removal technology</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">state-of-the-art <span class="dictionary">nutrient removal technology</span></span>, <span class="dictionary">biological <span class="dictionary">nutrient removal technology</span></span>, or other <span class="dictionary">nutrient removal technology</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Point source pollution</span>&#x201D; means pollution of <span class="dictionary">state waters</span> resulting from any discernible, defined or discrete conveyances.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Publicly owned treatment works</span>&#x201D; means a publicly owned sewage collection system consisting of pipelines or conduits, pumping stations and force mains, and all other construction, devices, and appliances appurtenant thereto, or any equipment, plant, treatment works, structure, machinery, apparatus, interest in land, or any combination of these, not including an onsite sewage system, that is used, operated, acquired, or constructed for the storage, collection, treatment, neutralization, stabilization, reduction, recycling, reclamation, separation, or disposal of wastewater, or for the final disposal of residues resulting from the treatment of sewage, including but not limited to: treatment or disposal plants; outfall sewers, interceptor sewers, and collector sewers; pumping and ventilating stations, facilities, and works; and other real or personal property and appurtenances incident to their development, use, or operation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Reasonable sewer costs</span>&#x201D; means the amount expended per household for sewer service in relation to the median household income of the service area as determined by guidelines developed and approved by the State Water Control Board for use with the Virginia Water Facilities Revolving <span class="dictionary">Fund</span> established pursuant to Chapter 22 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/62.1-224/">62.1-224</a> et seq.) of Title 62.1.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Significant discharger</span>&#x201D; means (i) a <span class="dictionary">publicly owned treatment works</span> discharging to the Chesapeake Bay watershed with a design capacity of 0.5 million gallons per day or greater, (ii) a <span class="dictionary">publicly owned treatment works</span> discharging to the Chesapeake Bay watershed east of the fall line with a design capacity of 0.1 million gallons per day or greater, (iii) a planned or newly expanding <span class="dictionary">publicly owned treatment works</span> discharging to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is expected to be in operation by 2010 with a permitted design of 0.5 million gallons per day or greater, or (iv) a planned or newly expanding <span class="dictionary">publicly owned treatment works</span> discharging to the Chesapeake Bay watershed east of the fall line with a design capacity of 0.1 million gallons per day or greater, which is expected to be in operation by 2010.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State-of-the-art <span class="dictionary">nutrient removal technology</span></span>&#x201D; means technology that will achieve at least a 3 mg/L total nitrogen concentration or at least a 0.3 mg/L total phosphorus concentration in effluent discharges.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State waters</span>&#x201D; means all waters on the surface or under the ground, wholly or partially within or bordering the Commonwealth or within its <span class="dictionary">jurisdictions</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Water Quality Improvement Grants</span>&#x201D; means grants available from the <span class="dictionary">Fund</span> for projects of <span class="dictionary">local governments</span>, <span class="dictionary">institutions of higher education</span>, and <span class="dictionary">individuals</span> (i) to achieve nutrient reduction goals in regulations, permits, or the Chesapeake Bay TMDL Watershed Implementation Plan or (ii) to achieve other water quality restoration, protection or enhancement benefits.</p></section></text><history>1997, cc. 21, 625, 626; 1999, c. 257; 2005, cc. 704, 707, 709; 2006, c. 236; 2007, c. 924; 2015, c. 164.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
