Valdosta
Valdosta, GA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
valdosta
groundwater (wells) · local government · PWSID GA1850002
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Valdosta, GA is a small but growing city, with a population near 55,724 and the 14th-largest community in Georgia. Like much of Georgia, Valdosta draws its water primarily from Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, and Floridan aquifer.
Valdosta's water outlook is shaped most by drought — the issue that dominates planning across Georgia. Decades of 'water wars' litigation with Alabama and Florida over the Chattahoochee shape metro Atlanta's supply planning.
Valdosta sits in a state that reuses roughly 11% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Georgia state water profile and the related issues below.
Lowndes County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~55,724 (14th-largest in Georgia)
- Primary sources: Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, and Floridan aquifer
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~11% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Georgia in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Valdosta?
Valdosta's largest water system, VALDOSTA, serves about 48,959 people. EPA records show 9 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 0 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Valdosta get its water?
VALDOSTA draws primarily from groundwater (wells), part of Georgia's supply from Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, Floridan aquifer.
Related water issues
Drought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
Explore