Legislation Efforts

Advancing Water Sustainability Through Policy

The Society for a Secure and Sustainable Water Future (S4SSWF) works to advance practical, forward-thinking water sustainability policy centered around resilience, conservation, environmental education, and decentralized water infrastructure. Our advocacy efforts focus on helping communities prepare for future environmental and water-related challenges through both policy development and real-world implementation. Over the past several years, our organization and affiliated advocates have helped contribute to major conversations surrounding rainwater harvesting, sustainable water use, and long-term water security throughout Virginia.

HB192 (2018) –

One of the most significant milestones connected to our advocacy efforts was Virginia House Bill 192, legislation introduced by Delegate David Yancey in 2018. This bill directed the Virginia State Board of Health to develop formal regulations regarding the use of rainwater harvesting and gray water systems. Prior to this legislation, rainwater harvesting existed in a legal gray area that created uncertainty for businesses, property owners, and sustainability advocates seeking to implement alternative water systems. HB192 helped establish a legitimate statewide framework for rainwater harvesting and opened the door for broader commercial and environmental applications throughout the Commonwealth.

The legislation also encouraged Virginia to begin considering rainwater as an independent source of fresh water, an idea that represented a major shift in how decentralized water infrastructure could be viewed within the state. The passage of HB192 ultimately laid the foundation for the statewide rainwater harvesting regulations that exist today and helped move sustainable water conversations into the public and legislative mainstream.

Virginia’s Rainwater Warrior

SB851 (2025) –

Building upon the progress created by HB192, Virginia Senate Bill 851 further strengthened protections surrounding rainwater harvesting systems and reinforced the legitimacy of alternative water infrastructure throughout the Commonwealth. Introduced by Senator Danny Diggs in 2025, the bill addressed concerns surrounding local government restrictions on advanced rainwater harvesting systems and clarified the relationship between local ordinances and statewide regulations.

SB851 helped protect certain rainwater harvesting system owners from being forced onto municipal water supplies under specific conditions while also reinforcing the authority of statewide rainwater harvesting regulations. The legislation represented another important step toward long-term water resilience and demonstrated Virginia’s growing recognition of sustainable water systems as part of the state’s future infrastructure strategy.

Youngkin OKs rules on harvesting rainwater – which a Newport News auto shop owner helped draft

SB521 (2026) –

As Virginia continues experiencing rapid data center expansion, particularly throughout Northern Virginia, S4SSWF has also become involved in broader discussions surrounding the relationship between technology infrastructure and long-term water sustainability. Virginia Senate Bill 521, introduced in 2026 by Senator Creigh Deeds, proposed requiring certain new or substantially expanded data centers to incorporate rainwater harvesting systems capable of capturing runoff from at least 30 percent of roof surface areas for non-potable uses such as irrigation and heat dissipation.

The proposed legislation also required systems to be designed and inspected by certified professionals while authorizing state agencies to develop supporting regulations. Although the bill was ultimately continued into further study rather than fully enacted during the session, it helped elevate statewide conversations surrounding sustainable infrastructure, water conservation, climate resilience, and the environmental impact of rapidly expanding data center development.

SB521 represented one of the first major legislative efforts in Virginia directly connecting rainwater harvesting with data center sustainability and highlighted the growing importance of decentralized water strategies in future infrastructure planning.

Track The Bill

Looking Forward

S4SSWF continues advocating for practical, science-informed solutions surrounding water sustainability, resilience, environmental education, and sustainable infrastructure development. Our organization believes that future water challenges will require collaboration between policymakers, businesses, environmental advocates, researchers, and local communities. Through continued outreach, implementation projects, educational efforts, and policy engagement, we hope to help build a more secure and sustainable water future for the next generation.