The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is currently requesting data in preparation of the 2024 Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report (IR). In order to provide a comprehensive report on water quality conditions in the Commonwealth, DEQ accepts water quality data from a variety of sources including volunteers and other monitoring groups outside of DEQ. If your organization collected water quality data in Virginia between January 1, 2017- December 31, 2022, please consider submitting your data for review and consideration for use in the 2024 IR.

DEQ accepts water quality data to be reviewed and evaluated for assessment purposes on a continual basis. However, in order to be used for the 2024 IR, all data must be submitted to DEQ by March 6, 2023. Data submitted after this date will be reviewed in preparation of the 2026 IR.

The process for submitting data to DEQ is outlined on the agency’s Citizen Monitoring website under the “Submit your Monitoring Data to DEQ” link available here: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quality/monitoring/citizen-monitoring. Notably this cycle, DEQ has released the Virginia Data Explorer (VDE), a collaboration between DEQ and the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative, as a platform for submitting water quality data collected by volunteers and other monitoring groups outside of DEQ for consideration in the 2024 IR.

DEQ will hold a public webinar to provide an overview of the new VDE and the process for submitting water quality monitoring data to DEQ on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 from 5:30-7:00pm. The link to register for the webinar is: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3893139104808588892

Questions on submitting water quality monitoring data to DEQ may be sent to citizenwater@deq.virginia.gov, or by contacting Drew Garey (telephone: 804-659-2673) or Reid Downer (telephone: 804-217-4777), Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, Virginia 23218.