Title 15.2, Counties, Cities and Towns

A locality may regulate any open video system authorized pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 573 to the maximum extent permitted by federal law, including without limitation the (i) imposition of a gross revenues fee, if such locality has not adopted a currently effective ordinance pursuant …

A. As used in this section: "Cable operator" means any person or group of persons that (i) provides cable service over a cable system and directly or through one or more affiliates owns a significant interest in such cable system or (ii) otherwise controls or is responsible for, …

A. Any locality may (i) acquire or otherwise obtain control of or (ii) establish, maintain, operate, extend and enlarge: waterworks, sewerage, gas works (natural or manufactured), electric plants, public mass transportation systems, stormwater management systems and other public …

In an action to establish a prescriptive easement involving the provision of water and sewer services, a political subdivision shall demonstrate that the use has continued for a period of at least ten years. This section shall not affect any other requirement which may be necessa…

Localities may enter into mutual aid agreements with investor-owned public utilities, electric cooperatives and interstate natural gas companies in order to prepare for, prevent, and restore power and natural gas outages and failures. Such authority shall include, without limitat…

Any municipal corporation or public service authority created under the Virginia Water and Waste Authorities Act (§ 15.2-5100 et seq.) shall have the authority: 1. To purchase natural gas for resale within an area as described in subdivision 2 from any public utility that is cert…

A. Amelia, Botetourt, Campbell, Cumberland, Franklin, Halifax, and Nelson Counties may require connection to their water and sewage systems by owners of property that may be served by such systems; however, those persons having a domestic supply or source of potable water and a s…

Any locality may exercise its powers to regulate sewage collection, treatment or disposal service and water service notwithstanding any anticompetitive effect. Such regulation may include the establishment of an exclusive service area for any sewage or water system, including a s…

Any two or more localities, authorities, sanitary districts or other public entities may enter into agreements or contracts that create one or more exclusive service areas for the provision of sewage or water service, that fix the rates or charges for any sewage or water service …

Any locality, by ordinance, may require local water utilities to allow connections of fire suppression systems to the water supply. Such ordinances may prohibit any requirement for installing water meters on a fire suppression system, may prohibit charging an availability fee to …

A. Any locality, by ordinance, may establish a utility or enact a system of service charges to support a local stormwater management program consistent with Article 2.3 (§ 62.1-44.15:24 et seq.) of Chapter 3.1 of Title 62.1 or any other state or federal regulation governing storm…

Any locality may by ordinance create a local Stormwater Management Fund consisting of appropriated local moneys for the purpose of granting funds to an owner of private property or a common interest community for stormwater management and erosion prevention on previously develope…

No locality shall prohibit car washing as a noncommercial fundraising activity if the washing uses only biodegradable, phosphate-free, water-based cleaners, nor shall any permit issued pursuant to the State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.) prohibit the discharge of such no…

Whenever a locality leases or purchases any gas, electric or water plant operating within territory contiguous to the locality, the locality so leasing or purchasing shall have all of the rights, privileges and franchises of the person from which the property was leased or purcha…

Any county or city may acquire any water supply or sewage systems or water supply and sewage system, from any sanitary district in any such county or city, and the sanitary district may convey the system to such county or city, upon: (i) the payment to the sanitary district by th…

Any locality may contract with any sewerage or water purification company to introduce, build, maintain and operate a system of sewerage and water purification or of sewers, pipes and conduits suitable, necessary and proper for the purification of the water supply or for the sewe…

The governing body of any county adjoining a city lying wholly within the Commonwealth and with a population of more than 75,000 according to the 1970 or any subsequent census and any county having a density of population of more than 600 per square mile according to the 1960 or …

The governing body of any locality with a municipally-owned gas utility may by ordinance provide that taxes or charges hereafter made, imposed or incurred for gas service within or outside such locality shall be a lien on the real estate served by such gas utility. Where resident…

A. For water and sewer services provided by localities, fees and charges may be charged to and collected from (i) any person contracting for the same; (ii) the owner who is the occupant of the property or where a single meter serves multiple units; (iii) a lessee or tenant in acc…

A locality or authority, as such term is defined in § 15.2-5101, may provide a partial credit for excessive water and sewer charges where high water usage is caused by damaged pipes, leaks, accidents, or other intentional or unintentional causes.

The City of Richmond or any locality that is the owner of a water and sewer system and that has a population density of 200 persons per square mile or less, and the Towns of Altavista, Hurt, and Louisa, by ordinance may develop criteria for providing discounted water and sewer fe…

The City of Richmond may by ordinance develop criteria for financial assistance to customers for plumbing repairs and the replacement of water-inefficient appliances.

A. Notwithstanding any provision of law, general or special, the provisions of this section apply to any locality or authority, as such term is defined in § 15.2-5101. B. A locality or authority providing water or sewer services to a lessee or tenant of the property owner shall d…

A. Any lien for water and sewer charges when properly docketed in the clerk's office may be enforced in the same manner as taxes due a locality or by cutting off water or sewer service provided the public health or safety will not be endangered thereby. B. Such lien shall not bin…

Any locality which has adopted regulations under Chapter 22 (§ 15.2-2200 et seq.) governing the use and development of land may also adopt regulations, subject to the provisions of Chapter 3.1 (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.) of Title 62.1, fixing requirements as to the extent to which and …

For the purpose of providing relief from pollution, and for the improvement of conditions affecting the public health, and in addition to other powers conferred by law, any locality shall have power and authority to: 1. Establish, construct, improve, enlarge, operate and maintain…

Whenever the governing body of a locality or a combination of governing bodies of two or more localities is using the authority of this chapter to construct a new sewage treatment plant, or a hydraulic expansion or major upgrade of an existing sewage treatment plant, the facility…

Any two or more localities may enter into contracts for the acquisition, construction, maintenance and operation of sewers, pumping stations, ventilation stations, treatment plants or works and any other plants and structures and all appurtenances necessary thereto as the localit…

Localities contracting with each other pursuant to § 15.2-2124 may also provide in the contract (i) for a board, commission or other body as deemed appropriate; (ii) for the supervision, general management and operation of such works or structures; and (iii) may prescribe their a…

Any person, including municipal corporations, that proposes to establish a sewage system consisting of pipelines or conduits, pumping stations, force mains or sewerage treatment plants, or any of them, or an extension of any existing system which is designed to serve three or mor…

The governing body of any county notified of the proposed establishment of a sewage system or of the extension of any existing sewage system under § 15.2-2126 is authorized to disapprove the same, if it finds that such sewage system is not capable of serving the proposed number o…

Notwithstanding any other provision of general law relating to the approval of sewage systems, the governing body of any county or town which has adopted a master plan for a sewage system is authorized to deny an application for a sewage system if such denial appears to it to be …

The applicant shall state in the notice to the governing body required by § 15.2-2126 the number and nature of the connections to which service will be given under the certificate applied for. The governing body may require such further information as it deems desirable in order …

No person, including municipal corporations, which has constructed or installed a sewage system after having complied with the provisions of this article, shall extend the service in excess of the number of connections for which approval was originally given. In case any such ext…

No provision of this article shall apply to a corporation whose principal business is the operation of a hotel and which may extend the use of its surplus sewage facilities to a limited number of patrons.

Any person who fails or refuses to notify the governing body of the county in which any such sewage system is to be constructed or installed, or to notify such governing body of any proposed extension beyond the number of connections for which approval was originally given, and t…

Any person violating any provision of this article shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor and, in addition, may be enjoined from further violation of this article.

Every locality is authorized to make expenditures from its general fund in order to acquire land, participate in the construction of dams and perform all other necessary acts for the purpose of providing a public water supply for the agricultural, residential, governmental and in…

A. The special court to hear a case between jurisdictions involving a dam or water impoundment shall be composed of three judges of circuit courts remote from the jurisdictions of the parties involved. The judges shall be designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vi…

The court, in making its decision, shall balance the equities in the case, enter an order setting forth what it deems fair and reasonable terms and conditions, and direct the land acquisition to be in conformity therewith. It shall have power to: 1. Determine the metes and bounds…

A. The special court shall hear the case upon the evidence introduced as evidence is introduced in civil cases. B. The special court shall determine the necessity for and expediency of the acquisition of land or other proposed action and the best interests of the parties. C. If a…

Any locality whose territory is affected by the proceedings or any person affected by the proceedings may appear and shall be made a party defendant to the case.

The costs in the proceedings before the special court shall be paid by the party instituting the proceedings and shall be the same as in other civil cases; the costs shall also include the per diem and expenses of the court reporter, if any, and, in the discretion of the court, a…

A. An appeal may be filed in the Court of Appeals by any party from the judgment of the special court, and the appeal shall be heard and determined without reference to the principles of demurrer to evidence. The special court shall certify the facts in the case to the Court of A…

A. When proceedings for the acquisition of land by a locality are pending and a petition is filed seeking the acquisition of the same land or a portion thereof to another locality, the case shall be heard by the special court in which the original proceedings are pending. The spe…

Any locality authorized by its charter or by general law to construct a dam in connection with its public water supply system and which has secured permission from the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the Army and the authorization of the Attorney General of Virginia with …