{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/45.2-1648.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/45.2-1648.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/45.2-1648.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/45.2-1648.html"}],"law_id":364194,"edition_id":2,"section_id":364194,"structure_id":51970,"section_number":"45.2-1648","catch_line":" Operator’s right to sample water","history":"1998, c. 227, \u00a7 45.1-361.43; 2009, c. 293; 2017, c. 17; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"An operator may enter upon surface land at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner to obtain samples of water from any water well that is (i) located within 1,320 feet of a proposed or existing gas well and (ii) actually being utilized by the surface owner or occupant for domestic use. If the surface owner or occupant refuses to allow the operator to sample or causes the operator to be prevented from sampling any such water well, the operator shall promptly notify the Department of such refusal or prevention. The Department shall maintain a record of such notifications. In the event of such a refusal or prevention, the surface owner shall not be entitled to the remedies set forth in \u00a7 45.2-1649.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1356657,"text":"An operator may enter upon surface land at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner to obtain samples of water from any water well that is (i) located within 1,320 feet of a proposed or existing gas well and (ii) actually being utilized by the surface owner or occupant for domestic use. If the surface owner or occupant refuses to allow the operator to sample or causes the operator to be prevented from sampling any such water well, the operator shall promptly notify the Department of such refusal or prevention. The Department shall maintain a record of such notifications. In the event of such a refusal or prevention, the surface owner shall not be entitled to the remedies set forth in \u00a7 45.2-1649.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":51970,"edition_id":2,"name":"Replacement of Water by Gas Well Operators","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":5,"parent_id":51965,"metadata":{"child_laws":2,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:43","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:58","permalink":{"id":1451879,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51970,"identifier":"5","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51965,"edition_id":2,"name":"Virginia Gas and Oil Act","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":51964,"metadata":{"child_laws":50,"child_structures":5},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:38","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:58","permalink":{"id":1451677,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51965,"identifier":"16","token":"45.2\/IV\/16","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/16\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51964,"edition_id":2,"name":"Gas and Oil","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":51927,"metadata":{"child_laws":50,"child_structures":6},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:38","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:58","permalink":{"id":1451675,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51964,"identifier":"IV","token":"45.2\/IV","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51927,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":99,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":627,"child_structures":120},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:32","permalink":{"id":1449541,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51927,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":364194,"structure_id":51970,"section_number":"45.2-1648","catch_line":" Operator's right to sample water","url":"\/45.2-1648\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/45.2-1648","metadata":false},{"id":364195,"structure_id":51970,"section_number":"45.2-1649","catch_line":" Replacement of water supply","url":"\/45.2-1649\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/45.2-1649","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":364195,"structure_id":51970,"section_number":"45.2-1649","catch_line":" Replacement of water supply","url":"\/45.2-1649\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/45.2-1649","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-1648\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1998. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 227<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2009, chapter 293<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 17<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":364195,"section_number":"45.2-1649","catch_line":" Replacement of water supply","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-1649\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1451881,"object_type":"law","relational_id":364194,"identifier":"45.2-1648","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/45.2-1648","url":"\/45.2-1648\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-1648\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/5\/45.2-1648","dublin_core":{"Title":" Operator’s right to sample water","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-1648","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

An operator may enter upon surface land at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner to obtain samples of water from any water well<\/span> that is (i) located within 1,320 feet of a proposed or existing gas<\/span> well and (ii) actually being utilized by the surface owner<\/span> or occupant for domestic use. If the surface owner<\/span> or occupant refuses to allow the operator to sample or causes the operator to be prevented from sampling any such water well<\/span>, the operator shall promptly notify the Department<\/span> of such refusal or prevention. The Department<\/span> shall maintain a record of such notifications. In the event of such a refusal or prevention, the surface owner<\/span> shall not be entitled to the remedies set forth in \u00a7 45.2-1649<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n OPERATOR’S RIGHT TO SAMPLE WATER (\u00a7 45.2-1648)\n\nAn operator may enter upon surface land at reasonable times and in a reasonable\nmanner to obtain samples of water from any water well that is (i) located within\n1,320 feet of a proposed or existing gas well and (ii) actually being utilized\nby the surface owner or occupant for domestic use. If the surface owner or\noccupant refuses to allow the operator to sample or causes the operator to be\nprevented from sampling any such water well, the operator shall promptly notify\nthe Department of such refusal or prevention. The Department shall maintain a\nrecord of such notifications. In the event of such a refusal or prevention, the\nsurface owner shall not be entitled to the remedies set forth in \u00a7 45.2-1649.\n\nHISTORY: 1998, c. 227, \u00a7 45.1-361.43; 2009, c. 293; 2017, c. 17; 2021, Sp.\nSess. I, c. 387.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}