Western Virginia Water Authority
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- The cost of one bottle of water from a vending machine is equivalent to the cost of drinking 8 glasses of tap water every day for a year.
- A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds.
- The Water Authority maintains almost 1500 miles of drinking water pipes. If you put them end-to-end, they would stretch from Roanoke to Colorado Springs, CO.
- At one drip per second, a faucet can leak 3,000 gallons of water per year.
- Water is the only substance naturally found on earth as a solid, liquid and gas.
- Over 713 gallons of water go into the production of one cotton T-shirt.
- The Authority’s Water Pollution Control Plant is regarded as one of the best bird-watching areas in the mid-Atlantic region.
- The Water Authority maintains over 6,000 fire hydrants in our service area. Fire hydrants are connected to the public drinking water distribution lines, so water from a fire hydrant is drinking water.
- There are over 23,000 manholes in our service area.
- Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is the second largest municipal park in the United States.
- The Authority’s Water Pollution Control Plant covers over 100 acres of land.
- More people in the world have a mobile phone than have a toilet.
- The Water Authority treats 19-million gallons of drinking water a day although we have the capacity to treat 56-million gallons per day.
- The Authority’s Water Pollution Control Plant treats almost 37-million gallons of wastewater a day from all across the Roanoke Valley.
- There are 51 drinking water storage tanks in our service area. They each hold between 500,000 – 2-million gallons of water.
- Most of the treated drinking water used in a home is for toilet flushing.
News
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Reservoir Levels
Click to see today's reservoir levels.
1/8/2026
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Current Outages Map
Is there a water line break in your area? Search for your address on our Outage Map to see outages and estimated times of repair.
12/8/2025
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Important Notice: Malicious Domain Name Circulating
12/12/2025 10:00:00 AM
High School Apprenticeships
Registered High School Apprenticeship Program
The Western Virginia Water Authority started a Registered High School Apprenticeship Program with Roanoke County Public Schools in 2017 to train rising Juniors for careers in the water and wastewater industry. Today, that program is also open to City of Roanoke students. Students earn credentials and graduation credits simultaneously taking classes in high school while working with a mentor approximately 16 hours per week in a paid position at the Authority.
Students who are interested in this program should coordinate with their high school guidance counselor. Competitive interviews are conducted annually during March to select the next class of apprenticeship students.
Apprenticeship Program Brochure
Apprenticeship Program Outline
Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board Apprenticeship Video
Program Timeline
Virtually Tour our Treatment Facilities
Carvins Cove Water Treatment Facility
Crystal Spring Water Treatment Facility