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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54228</law_id><section_number>32.1-176.5:2</section_number><catch_line>Prohibition on private well construction</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="6">Environmental Health Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2.1">Private Well Construction</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No <span class="dictionary">private well</span> shall be constructed within 50 feet of the property line with an adjacent property of three acres or larger that is used for an agricultural operation, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/3.2-300/">3.2-300</a>. The following shall be exempt: (i) the owner of the adjacent property that is used for an agricultural operation may grant written permission for construction within 50 feet of the property line; or (ii) certification that no other site on the property complies with the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s regulations for the construction of a <span class="dictionary">private well</span>. <a id="paragraph-199138" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-176.5_2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall accept private site evaluations and designs, in compliance with the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s regulations for the construction of <span class="dictionary">private wells</span>, designed and certified by a licensed professional engineer, in consultation with a licensed onsite soil evaluator, or by a licensed onsite soil evaluator. The evaluations and designs included within such submissions shall be certified as complying with the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x2019;s regulations implementing this chapter. The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall not be required to perform a field check of private evaluations and designs prior to issuing the requested letter, permit, or approval. However, the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> may conduct such review of the work and field analysis as deemed necessary to protect the public health, integrity of the Commonwealth&#x2019;s environment, and the provisions of this chapter. <a id="paragraph-199139" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-176.5_2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, prior to issuing a permit, shall require any owner applying for a permit to construct a <span class="dictionary">private well</span> pursuant to the exemptions in subsection A to submit documentation that <span class="dictionary">affirms</span> the well construction site complies with the provisions of this section. <a id="paragraph-199140" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-176.5_2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, c. 403; 2008, c. 62; 2016, c. 90.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
