Portsmouth
Portsmouth, VA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
portsmouth, city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID VA3740600
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Portsmouth, VA is a small but growing city, with a population near 96,201 and the 12th-largest community in Virginia. Like much of Virginia, Portsmouth draws its water primarily from Potomac River, James River, and coastal aquifers.
Portsmouth's water outlook is shaped most by saltwater intrusion — the issue that dominates planning across Virginia. Hampton Roads' SWIFT project injects purified water into the Potomac Aquifer to fight both depletion and land subsidence — a leading East Coast reuse effort.
Portsmouth sits in a state that reuses roughly 21% of treated wastewater (established programs) and currently experiences severe to extreme drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Virginia state water profile and the related issues below.
At a glance
- Population ~96,201 (12th-largest in Virginia)
- Primary sources: Potomac River, James River, and coastal aquifers
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~21% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Virginia in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth's largest water system, PORTSMOUTH, CITY OF, serves about 97,915 people. EPA records show 0 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 Portsmouth get its water?
PORTSMOUTH, CITY OF draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Virginia's supply from Potomac River, James River, coastal aquifers.
Related water issues
Saltwater Intrusion
As coastal aquifers are over-pumped and seas rise, saltwater pushes inland and contaminates freshwater supplies for cities from Florida to California.
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.
ExplorePotable Reuse
Advanced purification turns treated wastewater into water that meets or exceeds drinking-water standards — increasingly essential in water-stressed regions.
Explore