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Council amends city drought ordinance to remove automatic county linkage
Summary
Council approved an amendment removing the city’s automatic requirement to mirror Rockingham County drought declarations, allowing Harrisonburg to base drought declarations on its own water sources and DEQ regional determinations.
City Attorney Brown explained that the city's water withdrawal permit and current ordinance required Harrisonburg to declare a drought emergency when Rockingham County did, but that DEQ agreed to remove that requirement from the city's withdrawal permit. The ordinance amendment removes the automatic linkage, allowing Harrisonburg to declare emergencies based on its own standards or to follow DEQ’s Shenandoah Drought Evaluation Region determinations.
Councilmembers supported the change as it recognizes the city’s differing water sources and needs from the county's groundwater-driven supply. A roll-call vote approved the ordinance amendment.
