West Virginia Water Restrictions 2026

Water restrictions across West Virginia right now

As of late April 2026, West Virginia is navigating one of its more consequential spring drought episodes in recent memory, with abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions blanketing more than 70 percent of the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies the bulk of the affected territory between D1 (Moderate Drought) and D2 (Severe Drought), with the most stressed areas concentrated across the eastern panhandle, the Greenbrier Valley, and portions of the southern coalfields. Spring rainfall totals have run well below historical averages statewide, leaving soils parched at a time of year when mountain streams and reservoirs typically benefit from April showers.

Despite the breadth of the drought, neither Charleston nor Huntington — the state's two most populous cities — had activated formal water restriction programs as of April 30, 2026. Both municipalities are currently classified with no active restrictions in place. That status, however, reflects current supply margins more than an absence of concern. Charleston's water system draws primarily from the Elk River, which has registered notably lower-than-normal flows through the first quarter of 2026. Huntington's utilities, which tap the Ohio River, benefit from the river's larger drainage basin, providing somewhat more buffer against localized precipitation deficits.

Across smaller and more rural communities, the picture is more precarious. Many West Virginia towns depend on smaller tributaries — the Gauley River, the Greenbrier River, the Cheat River, the Tygart Valley River — that respond rapidly to precipitation shortfalls. When those streams drop, intakes lose capacity and treatment plants must work harder to deliver safe water to taps. Some small water systems in Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Monroe counties have already issued informal conservation requests to customers, even if those requests haven't risen to the level of formal mandatory orders.

The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) have both flagged the expanding drought as a situation requiring vigilance. The WVDEP's Division of Water and Waste Management has been actively monitoring stream gauge readings on rivers including the New River near Hinton and the Potomac River's tributaries along the eastern border, looking for sustained low-flow conditions that could trigger more formal regulatory responses.

Residents across the state are being encouraged to adopt voluntary conservation measures — reducing lawn irrigation, fixing household leaks, limiting car washing, and avoiding outdoor water use during peak evaporation hours in the early afternoon. While no city-level mandates are currently in force, utilities from Morgantown to Beckley are signaling that continued dry conditions through May and June could shift the current voluntary posture toward something more formal. The window between voluntary appeals and mandatory restrictions can close quickly in a drought that is still actively expanding.

Fines and enforcement in West Virginia

Enforcement of water restrictions in West Virginia follows a decentralized model in which individual public water systems — rather than state agencies — bear primary responsibility for compliance monitoring and penalty assessment. When a utility activates a mandatory restriction ordinance, penalties are typically authorized under the utility's existing rate tariff structure and the terms of its operating certificate from the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC).

For most West Virginia utilities that have published contingency enforcement frameworks, the penalty schedule follows a progressive structure. A first violation typically results in a written warning delivered by mail or in person, with no financial penalty. A second violation within 30 days generally triggers a monetary fine ranging from $25 to $50, added directly to the customer's next billing statement. A third violation escalates to fines of $100 or more and may result in a service call from a utility inspector. Repeated violations — four or more within a single restriction period — can lead to flow restrictors being installed at the service connection, reducing the customer's available flow to approximately 0.5 gallons per minute, enough for basic sanitary needs but not landscape irrigation.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission provides regulatory oversight for investor-owned utilities and some municipal systems, and customers who believe they have been incorrectly cited for a violation can file a formal complaint with the PSC through its Consumer Affairs Division. The complaint process is free and can be initiated by phone, mail, or through the PSC's online portal. Municipal utilities not under PSC jurisdiction — which represent a significant share of West Virginia's water systems — handle appeals through their local governing authority, typically city council or a utility board.

Smart meter deployment remains uneven across West Virginia. Larger systems in Charleston and Huntington have made partial investments in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which enables hourly consumption data and automated alerts for customers whose usage spikes above baseline — a useful tool for detecting prohibited irrigation. However, many rural cooperatives and smaller municipal systems still rely on traditional monthly read meters, making real-time violation detection challenging.

Complaint-driven enforcement — in which neighbors report apparent violations — is the most common detection mechanism across the state. Utilities typically assign a utility field officer or code enforcement inspector to conduct a site visit within 48 to 72 hours of a complaint being received. Anonymous complaints are accepted by most utilities, though some require a complainant's name for record-keeping purposes. The relatively informal nature of enforcement in a predominantly voluntary context means that social pressure and community norms play an outsized role in conservation compliance across West Virginia's small towns and rural communities.

HOA protections in West Virginia

West Virginia does not have a statute equivalent to those found in Texas, Nevada, or California that explicitly prohibits homeowners associations from penalizing residents for allowing lawns to go dormant or brown during a declared drought emergency. The absence of such a law places West Virginia homeowners in a potentially awkward position: a utility might request that residents reduce or eliminate lawn irrigation, while an HOA's governing documents simultaneously require maintenance of green, healthy turf.

The primary governing framework for homeowners associations in West Virginia is the West Virginia Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, codified at West Virginia Code Chapter 36B. Chapter 36B governs the formation, governance, and operation of common interest communities, including planned unit developments, condominiums, and cooperatives. It establishes the rights and responsibilities of both associations and unit owners but does not include an express provision overriding HOA landscaping requirements during water emergencies.

Under West Virginia Code § 36B-3-102, associations are granted broad authority to regulate the use, maintenance, and appearance of common and limited common elements, and this authority has historically been interpreted to include enforcement of landscaping standards. Nothing in Chapter 36B specifically carves out an exception for drought-driven lawn dormancy.

However, West Virginia courts have generally held that HOA rules cannot require residents to take actions that violate state or local law. If a municipality activates a mandatory water restriction ordinance prohibiting outdoor irrigation, a compelling legal argument exists that an HOA cannot enforce a green-lawn requirement that would necessitate violating the municipal order. The analysis becomes murkier in the current 2026 environment, where restrictions remain voluntary rather than mandatory, because voluntary appeals do not carry the force of law.

Residents of HOA-governed communities in West Virginia who wish to reduce irrigation during the current drought would be well advised to proactively communicate with their association board in writing, documenting the drought conditions, the utility's conservation requests, and any applicable stage declarations from the WVDNR. Some associations have voluntarily amended their enforcement posture during prior droughts — including during the notable dry period of 2007-2008 — to suspend fines for brown lawns, even without a legal obligation to do so.

There have been periodic discussions in the West Virginia Legislature about introducing drought protections similar to those in other states, but as of 2026, no such bill has passed into law. Homeowners seeking to advocate for such protections can engage the West Virginia Legislature's Committee on Government Organization, which has jurisdiction over common interest community legislation.

Where West Virginia gets its water

West Virginia sits atop one of the most complex and historically abundant water landscapes in the eastern United States, threaded by major river systems that drain toward both the Ohio River and the Chesapeake Bay. That abundance, however, is not uniform, and the 2026 drought is demonstrating just how unevenly distributed that natural wealth can be during periods of sustained precipitation deficit.

The Kanawha River is the state's central hydrologic artery, formed by the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers near Gauley Bridge in Nicholas County. Charleston draws heavily from the Elk River, a major Kanawha tributary, through the West Virginia American Water intake upstream of the city. The Elk River gained unfortunate national attention in January 2014 when a chemical spill from a Freedom Industries storage tank contaminated the intake, but under normal drought conditions, the more pressing concern is reduced flow volumes that concentrate naturally occurring pollutants and make treatment more expensive.

The Monongahela River drains the northern tier of the state, fed by the Tygart Valley River near Grafton and the West Fork River near Fairmont. Morgantown and Fairmont both rely on the Monongahela system. The Monongahela benefits from Stonewall Jackson Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the West Fork River near Weston, which provides some flow augmentation during dry periods. Stonewall Jackson Lake has a storage capacity of approximately 410,000 acre-feet and serves as a crucial buffer for communities in the upper West Fork watershed.

The New River, which flows northward from North Carolina through the New River Gorge before joining the Gauley, is one of the oldest rivers in the world geologically and provides water supply to communities in Fayette, Nicholas, and Summers counties. Hawks Nest Lake, impounded by Hawks Nest Dam near Ansted, supplements local water supplies in that region.

The eastern panhandle draws from Cacapon River tributaries and from the South Branch of the Potomac River, which flows northeast into Maryland before joining the main stem Potomac. Communities in Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy counties are among the most exposed to 2026 drought stress because the South Branch's flows have declined sharply since January.

Groundwater also plays a meaningful role across rural West Virginia, where karst limestone geology in Monroe, Greenbrier, and Pocahontas counties creates springs and cave systems that feed both private wells and small community water systems. The Greenbrier aquifer system, while not as extensively mapped as aquifer systems in western states, supports thousands of rural residents. Aquifer levels have been declining measurably through the dry winter and spring of 2026, and well drillers across the Greenbrier Valley have reported an uptick in calls from homeowners whose wells have gone dry.

Snowpack in the Allegheny Highlands — particularly in the Cheat Mountain corridor and along Spruce Knob, the state's highest point at 4,863 feet — normally contributes meaningful late-winter and early-spring streamflow to the Cheat River and upper Greenbrier River systems. The 2025-2026 winter produced below-normal snowfall in these highlands, compounding the spring rainfall deficit and reducing the natural reservoir effect that the high-elevation terrain would typically provide.

How West Virginia's drought framework works

West Virginia's approach to drought management is governed primarily by the West Virginia Drought Preparedness Plan, administered through the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) in coordination with the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, the WVDEP, and the Governor's office. The plan establishes a four-stage drought response ladder designed to escalate in proportion to measured hydrologic and meteorological stress across the state's drainage basins.

The framework uses a combination of trigger indicators to advance between stages. These include precipitation departures from the 30-year normal, streamflow percentile rankings from USGS stream gauges, Palmer Drought Severity Index scores, groundwater levels from monitored wells, and reservoir storage levels at regulated impoundments. No single indicator alone triggers a stage change; the WVDNR's Drought Monitoring Committee convenes to evaluate the composite picture across the state's six hydrologic regions — the Potomac, Cheat, Monongahela, Little Kanawha, Kanawha, and Big Sandy/Tug Fork basins.

Stage 1 (Drought Watch) is the advisory level, corresponding roughly to D0-D1 conditions on the Drought Monitor. At this stage, state agencies activate public information campaigns and encourage voluntary reductions. Public water systems are asked to review their emergency response plans and confirm that interconnection agreements with neighboring utilities are current.

Stage 2 (Drought Warning) escalates the response when streamflows drop below the 25th percentile for three or more consecutive weeks, or when reservoir storage falls below 60 percent of capacity at key facilities. At this stage, the WVDNR formally notifies the Governor and begins coordinating with public water systems to implement voluntary or mandatory conservation measures.

Stage 3 (Drought Emergency) is declared by the Governor and unlocks emergency authorities for water allocation, including the ability to curtail certain non-essential water withdrawals and to compel utilities to implement mandatory use restrictions. This stage also activates mutual aid protocols between public water systems and can trigger requests to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster designations.

Stage 4 (Critical Drought) represents the most severe level, reserved for conditions where public health and safety are directly threatened by inadequate water supplies. At this stage, the state can commandeer water resources, prioritize drinking water over all other uses, and coordinate emergency water hauling to communities where system pressure falls dangerously low.

As of April 2026, West Virginia remains in a de facto Stage 1 posture for most of the state, though several eastern and southern basins are being evaluated for Stage 2 progression. The Drought Monitoring Committee is scheduled to convene in early May 2026 to assess whether the expanding D2 footprint warrants a formal stage advancement for affected regions.

Conservation programs in West Virginia

West Virginia's suite of water conservation programs reflects the state's particular mix of urban utility systems, rural water cooperatives, and legacy infrastructure challenges. While the state lacks the large-scale rebate programs common in desert Southwest states, several meaningful initiatives are active or have been recently funded.

The West Virginia American Water WaterSense Partnership Program offers residential customers rebates on WaterSense-certified toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators. As of 2026, toilet replacement rebates are available at $50 per qualifying fixture, with a maximum of two rebates per household per calendar year. Customers must submit a completed rebate application with proof of purchase and a photograph of the removed old toilet to receive payment. The program has distributed more than $280,000 in rebates since its inception, with demand increasing notably during the 2016 eastern panhandle drought and again in 2022 when summer temperatures caused temporary supply pressure concerns in parts of the service territory.

The WV Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council (IJDC) administers low-interest loan programs for public water systems seeking to repair leaking distribution infrastructure. Statewide, water main leakage — known in the industry as non-revenue water loss — is estimated to account for between 15 and 30 percent of total treated water in many older West Virginia systems. The IJDC's Water Development Authority loan program has funded main replacement projects in communities including Welch, Williamson, and Rainelle, where aging cast-iron pipes installed in the mid-20th century were losing an estimated 25 to 40 percent of treated water to ground infiltration before replacement.

The West Virginia University Extension Service operates a residential water audit program through its agriculture and natural resources division. Extension agents conduct on-site assessments of household water use, checking for leaking fixtures, inefficient irrigation systems, and behavioral patterns that inflate consumption. The program is free to participating households and has been particularly active in rural counties where residents rely on private wells and have limited access to utility-sponsored conservation programs.

The EPA WaterSense at Work program, available nationally, has been adopted by several West Virginia commercial and institutional users, including Cabell-Huntington Hospital and West Virginia University's Morgantown campus, which completed a comprehensive water audit in 2023 that identified more than $180,000 in annual water savings from fixture upgrades, chiller system optimization, and irrigation controller improvements.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) West Virginia State Office in Morgantown administers the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides cost-share funding — up to 50 to 75 percent of eligible project costs — for agricultural water conservation practices including irrigation scheduling tools, soil moisture monitoring equipment, and microirrigation system conversions for berry and vegetable producers in the state's horticultural sector.

Lawn care in West Virginia's climate

West Virginia occupies a transitional climate zone — humid continental in the north and higher elevations, humid subtropical in the southwestern lowlands — that makes lawn and landscape management more complex than in purely warm or purely cool regions. The state sits squarely in what turf professionals call the transition zone, where neither cool-season nor warm-season grasses perform at their absolute best year-round, and where drought stress management requires thoughtful species selection.

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is by far the most widely used lawn grass across West Virginia, and for good reason. Modern endophyte-enhanced tall fescue varieties — including 'Rebel Exeda', 'Titan RCT', and 'Firecracker SLT' — combine improved drought tolerance, reduced irrigation requirements, and resistance to surface insects. Tall fescue's deep root system, which can reach 18 to 24 inches under favorable conditions, allows it to access soil moisture reserves unavailable to shallower-rooted grasses during periods like the current 2026 drought. It maintains color through mild drought stress better than Kentucky bluegrass and greens up earlier in the fall after heat-induced summer dormancy.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) performs beautifully in the cooler mountain counties of Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker, where summer temperatures moderate and elevation keeps heat stress manageable. However, in the Ohio and Kanawha valleys, Kentucky bluegrass struggles through hot, dry summers and is far less appropriate than tall fescue for water-conscious homeowners in those regions.

Perennial ryegrass blends are sometimes used in West Virginia for overseeding bare areas, but perennial ryegrass is not drought-tolerant and will brown aggressively during summer water stress. Its use as a primary lawn species is not advisable given the state's drought trajectory.

In the southwestern lowlands around Wayne, Cabell, and Lincoln counties, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) has gained traction as a warm-season alternative that tolerates summer heat and drought better than tall fescue in those specific microclimates. Bermudagrass goes dormant in winter but recovers vigorously in spring, and its lateral growth habit means it self-repairs from drought damage once rainfall returns.

Regardless of grass species, West Virginia homeowners are strongly encouraged to raise mowing height to 3.5 to 4 inches during drought periods. Taller turf shades soil, reduces evaporation, and allows deeper root growth. Allowing established tall fescue to go dormant during severe drought — rather than stress-watering it with insufficient amounts — is often the more sustainable approach, as dormant turf typically recovers fully once normal precipitation resumes.

Drought history and 2026 outlook in West Virginia

West Virginia's geographic position in the central Appalachians means it typically receives between 40 and 55 inches of annual precipitation, a level that historically insulated the state from the multi-year megadroughts that afflict the American West. But the state has experienced meaningful drought episodes that have tested its water systems, shaped its drought policy, and left lasting impressions on the communities that lived through them.

The drought of 1999-2000 was one of the most severe on record for the region. Streamflows on the Greenbrier River near Lewisburg fell to near-record lows in the summer of 2000, and the Elk River upstream of Charleston dropped to levels that complicated water treatment operations. Several small communities in the southern coalfields were placed on emergency water hauling at the height of that drought, and the experience directly informed the state's subsequent investment in drought preparedness planning.

The 2002 drought struck with particular intensity across the Appalachian region. The Cheat River near Parsons and the Blackwater River in Tucker County both registered flows in the bottom fifth percentile for the period of record. Reservoirs supplying communities in Pendleton and Grant counties were drawn down significantly, and farmers across the Greenbrier Valley faced severe pasture and crop losses. The 2002 drought is frequently cited in WVDNR planning documents as the calibration event for current drought stage trigger thresholds.

The 2007-2008 drought affected the southeastern quarter of West Virginia with particular severity, drawing down Bluestone Lake — the Army Corps of Engineers impoundment on the New River near Hinton — to its lowest level in decades. Communities in Summers County that relied on Bluestone Lake for recreational economy as well as some indirect water supply support experienced economic hardship that extended well into 2008.

The 2012 summer drought was a continental-scale event that extended into West Virginia, bringing the Ohio River Valley to its driest summer since the 1930s. Huntington's Ohio River intake remained viable throughout, but stream temperatures spiked to levels that triggered thermal stress advisories for aquatic life in smaller tributaries.

The 2016 drought hit the eastern panhandle hard, with the South Branch of the Potomac falling to critically low levels by late summer, and several wells in Hardy and Hampshire counties going dry for the first time in living memory for their owners.

The outlook for water conditions in West Virginia through the remainder of 2026 hinges on several intersecting variables, none of which offer particular cause for optimism in the short term. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's spring and early summer outlooks issued in April 2026 favor below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures across the central Appalachian region through at least June, suggesting that the current D1-D2 drought footprint is more likely to expand than to contract in the near term.

The most critical indicator to watch is streamflow on the Elk River at the USGS gauge near Queen Shoals, upstream of Charleston's primary water intake. If 7-day average flows at that gauge drop below the 10th percentile for consecutive weeks during May and June, Charleston's utility is likely to activate formal Stage 1 conservation measures. Similarly, flows on the Greenbrier River at the gauge near Alderson in Greenbrier County will signal whether communities in the Greenbrier Valley are approaching supply stress thresholds.

Groundwater levels in the karst aquifer zones of Monroe and Greenbrier counties merit close attention. Because these systems recharge slowly and respond to precipitation on timescales of weeks to months, the deficit accumulated through the dry winter and spring of 2026 will not be erased by a single wet month even if summer rainfall recovers to normal levels.

Stonewall Jackson Lake storage — currently being monitored by the Army Corps of Engineers at its Weston project office — will determine whether augmented low-flow releases to the West Fork River and Monongahela system can sustain communities in Marion and Monongalia counties without additional conservation measures. Releases from Stonewall Jackson Lake during prior droughts have successfully buffered water supply stress, but that capacity is finite.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November, occasionally delivers significant rainfall to West Virginia through tropical remnants tracking inland. A tropical system making landfall along the Gulf Coast and traveling northeast could deliver several inches of rain across the state within 48 hours, rapidly improving drought conditions. However, forecasters are not treating such events as reliable drought relief, and planning should proceed on the assumption that conditions will continue to deteriorate through midsummer.

Frequently asked questions about West Virginia water restrictions

Are there currently mandatory water restrictions anywhere in West Virginia?

As of April 30, 2026, no major West Virginia city has enacted mandatory water restrictions. Both Charleston and Huntington are operating without active formal restrictions, though utility communications from both cities encourage voluntary conservation given the expanding D1-D2 drought coverage across more than 70 percent of the state. Some smaller community water systems in Greenbrier, Pocahontas, and Monroe counties have issued informal conservation requests, but these do not carry the force of enforceable ordinances at this time.

What triggers formal drought restrictions in West Virginia?

West Virginia's Drought Preparedness Plan uses a composite of indicators to trigger formal responses: sustained precipitation deficits below the 30-year normal, streamflow percentile rankings from USGS gauges falling below the 25th percentile for three or more consecutive weeks, reservoir storage dropping below 60 percent of capacity, and declining groundwater levels in monitored wells. The WVDNR's Drought Monitoring Committee evaluates these metrics across six hydrologic regions — Potomac, Cheat, Monongahela, Little Kanawha, Kanawha, and Big Sandy/Tug Fork — before recommending stage advancements to state leadership.

Can my HOA fine me for having a brown lawn during the drought?

Under current West Virginia law, specifically West Virginia Code Chapter 36B governing common interest communities, there is no explicit protection preventing an HOA from enforcing green-lawn requirements even during a drought. Because current restrictions in West Virginia are voluntary rather than mandatory, there is no enforceable municipal order that would override HOA landscaping rules. Homeowners in HOA communities are advised to proactively contact their association board in writing, explain the drought conditions and utility conservation requests, and request a temporary suspension of landscaping enforcement. Some associations have voluntarily suspended such enforcement during prior drought periods, including 2007-2008.

How do I report a neighbor who appears to be wasting water during the drought?

Since formal mandatory restrictions are not currently in effect across most of West Virginia, there is no formal complaint process for water waste violations in most jurisdictions. If your community's utility has activated any formal restriction ordinance, you can typically file a complaint directly with the utility's customer service line. For West Virginia American Water customers, the customer service number is the primary contact point. If your utility is regulated by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the PSC's Consumer Affairs Division also accepts complaints. Most utilities ask for the address of the suspected violation, a description of the observed behavior, and the approximate time and date.

Which West Virginia rivers and reservoirs are most at risk during the 2026 drought?

The South Branch of the Potomac River in Hardy and Hampshire counties is among the most stressed surface water systems in the state as of April 2026. The Greenbrier River near Alderson has also recorded below-normal flows through winter and spring. Bluestone Lake on the New River near Hinton is being monitored closely given its role in flood control and incidental water supply support for Summers County communities. In the northern part of the state, Stonewall Jackson Lake on the West Fork River near Weston remains a critical buffer for Monongahela basin communities but is operating at reduced storage levels compared to the same period in prior years.

What free conservation resources are available to West Virginia homeowners right now?

West Virginia American Water customers can access rebates of up to $50 per WaterSense-certified toilet through the utility's conservation rebate program. The West Virginia University Extension Service offers free residential water audits through its agriculture and natural resources division — particularly valuable for rural residents on private wells. The EPA's free WaterSense home water check tool is available online and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, generating a customized water-saving recommendation report. USDA NRCS cost-share funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is available to agricultural producers for irrigation efficiency improvements, covering up to 75 percent of eligible project costs at the West Virginia state office level.

What is the history of private well failures during West Virginia droughts?

West Virginia's rural geology includes extensive karst limestone formations in the Greenbrier Valley and eastern mountains that support spring-fed water supplies and shallow wells. During the 1999-2000 drought, documented well failures in Monroe and Greenbrier counties numbered in the dozens. The 2016 drought again produced elevated reports of well failures along the South Branch corridor in Hardy and Hampshire counties, where relatively shallow wells in alluvial floodplain deposits are particularly sensitive to low river stage conditions. During the current 2026 drought, well drillers across the Greenbrier Valley have reported an uptick in service calls from homeowners whose wells have either gone dry or declined significantly in yield, suggesting that the aquifer stress already under way could accelerate through a dry summer.

Will the 2026 drought affect water quality, not just supply?

Yes, drought conditions in West Virginia carry meaningful water quality implications beyond simple supply constraints. Lower flows in rivers like the Elk, the Gauley, and the Greenbrier concentrate naturally occurring manganese and iron at levels that can exceed secondary drinking water standards, creating aesthetic and treatment challenges for downstream water systems. Reduced dilution capacity in the Kanawha River can allow legacy industrial pollutants and agricultural runoff from upstream sources to reach higher concentrations. The WVDEP Division of Water and Waste Management monitors stream chemistry at key locations during drought periods and issues guidance to water systems when conditions warrant enhanced treatment protocols. Customers of surface water systems may notice taste and odor changes during prolonged low-flow periods, which are typically not health risks but do reflect the real water quality stress that drought imposes on West Virginia's river systems.