Water Quality

The City of Charlottesville’s water is treated and monitored by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA). The water quality meets all the standards in place by the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA, and Virginia Health Department. RWSA collects and tests hundreds of samples hourly, daily, monthly, quarterly, and annually to ensure the quality of your water. 

Revised Treatment Process and Sampling Coming Soon 

It is standard practice that a phosphate chemical is added to drinking water supplies during treatment in order to reduce corrosion of the metal pipes in the distribution system and in customer plumbing. The chemical forms a protective layer on the inside of the pipes, reducing corrosion, and thus reducing the possibility of mainly lead and copper entering the water.

For over 30 years, the RWSA has used a polyphosphate product for corrosion control and has been very effective in keeping lead and copper out of customer water supplies. As a purely proactive measure, the City of Charlottesville, working with RWSA, has decided to upgrade its corrosion inhibitor to ensure the highest level of current water treatment technology is being utilized to protect the public.

Our public drinking water has a long history of being significantly below federally regulated lead and copper levels. This upgrade will use a blended phosphate product to better protect water pipes and plumbing fixtures from internal corrosion.

To confirm there won’t be any adverse effects from the transition to the new corrosion inhibitor, RWSA has completed extensive testing to verify the new product will be more effective and will not affect customers. The transition to the new inhibitor began with the Town of Crozet system in December 2019. Due to COVID-19, the transition for the Urban system will begin at a later date that has yet to be determined. The City of Charlottesville will send notifications to customers with information on the new transition timeline as it is developed.

For more information on the continuous work to implement new or improved water treatment techniques, read Charlottesville's Commitment to Water Quality (PDF).