Drought Advisory Information

On September 13, 2011 the Board of Supervisors adopted a Drought Response and Contingency Plan for those areas of Prince Edward County not served by the Town of Farmville's water system. Per Virginia DEQ regulations, the key drought indicators for the declaration of a "Drought Watch Advisory" are when at least two of the four indicators below meet threshold conditions:

  1. Precipitation: below normal precipitation for the water year, which commenced 10-01-2025;
  2. Stream flow: falls to between the 10th and 25th percentile;
  3. Ground water: levels fall to between the 10th and 25th percentile; and
  4. Reservoir: water level in the state's major water reservoirs (we use Sandy River Reservoir) is between 75% and 85% of total usable volume.

Currently, a "Drought Watch" is warranted, as the county's drought indicators have been triggered, as follows:

  1. Precipitation: Status: WATCH --The majority of the County appears to have received between 65-75% of normal rainfall for the "water year to date."
  2. Stream Flow: Status: WATCH --The flow in the Appomattox River has fallen below normal flow and remains between the 10th and 25th percentile for a number of days, based on the USGS GAUGE # 02039500 -Appomattox River at Farmville.
  3. Ground Water Levels: Status: WARNING --The state monitoring well (USGS Observation Well, USGS Local# 41H 3) in Buckingham County is between the 5th and 10th percentile.
  4. Reservoir: Status: NORMAL -- Based on measurements at the staff gauge on 07/07/2026, the water level of the Sandy River Reservoir has fallen 2 inches below normal pool, which represents a nominal reduction in total usable volume.

As outlined in Appendix II of Drought Response and Contingency Plan, once the Board calls for a Drought Watch, the following actions should be taken:

  • The Board will issue a press release indicating the reasons for the declaration.
  • A Public Notice of the voluntary use reduction shall be published in The Farmville Herald during which the time the restrictions are in effect.
  • The County will notify the Town of Farmville, Hampden-Sydney College and any other community water systems of the Drought Watch status. (Note: The Town of Farmville's Drought Management Plan governs the Town's actions. The notice from the County is for information purposes only.)
  • Citizens and non-residential users will be asked to implement voluntary water conservation.
  • The County will continue to monitor conditions and provide monthly reports of drought conditions to the Board and to media outlets.
  • The Board will encourage all community water systems and self-supplied water users who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons per day to review drought water conservation methods.
  • The County will include water conservation information on its website and will distribute water conservation information as broadly as possible.
  • Staff will monitor reports of water shortages and report problems to the Board on a monthly basis.

 

 

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