Sistemas de agua de Virginia que atienden a las poblaciones más desfavorecidas — 2026
Empresas de agua comunitarias de Virginia que atienden a poblaciones con el porcentaje combinado más alto de residentes no blancos y hogares por debajo del 200% del nivel federal de pobreza (Censo ACS 2019-2023, agregado a través de los límites del área de servicio del sistema de agua comunitario v3 de la EPA).
clasificados
con datos demográficos
Censo ACS
de CWS (marzo de 2026)
These 50 Virginia water utilities serve populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Within-size-class percentile rankings neutralize the confound of system size; no geographic cap is applied at the state level because all utilities are within a single state.
| Rank | Water System | State | Pop served | Equity score | % PoC served | % Below 200% FPL | Unresolved violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Emporia | Virginia | 5,290 | 92.2 | 73% | 46% | 4 |
| 2 | Dcwa Central | Virginia | 7,841 | 86 | 68% | 39% | — |
| 3 | Virginia-American Water Company | Virginia | 24,939 | 85.4 | 57% | 42% | — |
| 4 | Portsmouth, City of | Virginia | 71,459 | 84.2 | 64% | 39% | — |
| 5 | Danville, City of | Virginia | 34,895 | 84 | 50% | 43% | — |
| 6 | Martinsville, City of | Virginia | 13,563 | 83.5 | 49% | 43% | — |
| 7 | Nsa Hampton Roads, Main Base | Virginia | 13,760 | 81.9 | 49% | 41% | — |
| 8 | South Hill, Town of | Virginia | 3,632 | 81.8 | 49% | 41% | — |
| 9 | Hcsa- Leigh Street Plant | Virginia | 6,512 | 81.4 | 44% | 43% | — |
| 10 | City of Petersburg | Virginia | 33,637 | 78.4 | 65% | 34% | — |
| 11 | Upper Smith River Water Supply | Virginia | 8,226 | 77.9 | 37% | 43% | — |
| 12 | City of Harrisonburg | Virginia | 51,555 | 76.2 | 33% | 45% | — |
| 13 | Ft Gregg-Adams (Ft Lee) | Virginia | 6,307 | 74.4 | 66% | 31% | — |
| 14 | Farmville, Town of | Virginia | 5,209 | 73.8 | 37% | 39% | — |
| 15 | Richmond, City of | Virginia | 210,447 | 73.4 | 61% | 37% | — |
| 16 | City of Franklin | Virginia | 7,564 | 73.3 | 56% | 32% | — |
| 17 | R.R. Donnelley- Rcpw | Virginia | 5,395 | 72 | 37% | 38% | — |
| 18 | City of Norfolk | Virginia | 201,592 | 69.1 | 58% | 35% | — |
| 19 | City of Lynchburg | Virginia | 74,691 | 68.8 | 34% | 37% | — |
| 20 | City of Colonial Heights | Virginia | 13,053 | 68.2 | 50% | 30% | — |
| 21 | Blacksburg, Town of | Virginia | 39,913 | 67.6 | 22% | 46% | — |
| 22 | Frederick Water | Virginia | 33,022 | 66.2 | 34% | 35% | — |
| 23 | City of Charlottesville | Virginia | 48,058 | 63.8 | 34% | 33% | — |
| 24 | Colonial Beach, Town of | Virginia | 3,802 | 63.6 | 29% | 36% | — |
| 25 | City of Suffolk | Virginia | 66,446 | 61.1 | 56% | 24% | — |
| 26 | City of Fredericksburg | Virginia | 26,846 | 60.4 | 44% | 27% | — |
| 27 | City of Galax | Virginia | 5,710 | 60 | 15% | 45% | — |
| 28 | City of Buena Vista | Virginia | 6,643 | 58.6 | 15% | 44% | — |
| 29 | Culpeper, Town of | Virginia | 14,832 | 58.4 | 41% | 26% | — |
| 30 | Dale City | Virginia | 63,574 | 58 | 74% | 18% | — |
| 31 | Amherst Company Service Authority (Acsa) | Virginia | 9,003 | 56.8 | 29% | 31% | — |
| 32 | Campbell County Central System | Virginia | 16,150 | 55.5 | 29% | 30% | — |
| 33 | Radford, City of | Virginia | 10,116 | 55.2 | 14% | 41% | — |
| 34 | City of Manassas | Virginia | 30,299 | 54.9 | 63% | 17% | — |
| 35 | City of Chesapeake - Western Branch Sys | Virginia | 16,259 | 54.8 | 52% | 20% | — |
| 36 | Rocky Mount, Town of | Virginia | 6,498 | 52.2 | 20% | 33% | — |
| 37 | City of Newport News | Virginia | 373,356 | 52 | 55% | 29% | — |
| 38 | Big Stone Gap, Town of | Virginia | 6,732 | 51.9 | 15% | 38% | — |
| 39 | Waynesboro, City of | Virginia | 24,820 | 48.8 | 22% | 29% | — |
| 40 | Pwcsa - East | Virginia | 143,201 | 47.8 | 69% | 19% | — |
| 41 | Spotsylvania County Utilities | Virginia | 71,738 | 47.8 | 41% | 18% | — |
| 42 | City of Norton | Virginia | 3,870 | 47.6 | 5% | 46% | — |
| 43 | Marion, Town of | Virginia | 4,902 | 46.8 | 7% | 42% | — |
| 44 | City of Covington | Virginia | 5,291 | 44.6 | 12% | 35% | 1 |
| 45 | Front Royal, Town of | Virginia | 12,302 | 44.3 | 19% | 29% | — |
| 46 | Acsa Urban Area | Virginia | 53,444 | 42.8 | 29% | 21% | — |
| 47 | City of Staunton | Virginia | 24,844 | 42.8 | 17% | 29% | — |
| 48 | Mountain Lakes Water Company | Virginia | 4,905 | 42.3 | 23% | 24% | 2 |
| 49 | Washington County Service Authority | Virginia | 30,366 | 41.8 | 9% | 35% | — |
| 50 | Smithfield, Town of | Virginia | 3,756 | 41.1 | 31% | 19% | — |
How to read this ranking
Each row links to a full utility profile with violation history, lead testing results, and service-area ZIPs. The demographic context columns are from independent data sources (ACS, not EJScreen) and are provided for readers who want to examine equity patterns alongside the operational data.
See the full methodology for calculation details, data vintages, and known limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "equity score" mean?
A 0-100 composite that combines two within-size-class percentile ranks: (1) percent of population served that is non-white (Census ACS B03002), and (2) percent below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS C17002). Within-size-class comparison (small, medium, large) is used because small rural systems and large urban systems have structurally different demographic profiles; mixing them in a single ranking produces a methodologically weak list dominated by size rather than disparity.
Why is the list capped at 5 systems per state?
Without a cap, the list concentrates in states with large numbers of historically disadvantaged small-to-medium systems (Texas, California). A geographic diversity cap produces a more nationally-representative snapshot. Per-state rankings, if available, show the full within-state comparison without a cap.
Does this claim discrimination?
No. It reports a demographic fact: these water utilities serve populations that are more non-white and lower-income than the national median, after controlling for system size. Causation — why that pattern exists — is a separate research question requiring different data and methods.
ZipCheckup es una herramienta independiente de datos públicos. Somos un servicio de referencia, no un proveedor de pruebas de agua, remediación ni servicios públicos. Las clasificaciones reflejan datos federales de acceso público y se ofrecen con fines informativos. Para problemas con su sistema de agua específico, el proveedor local de agua o el programa estatal de agua potable son los puntos de contacto adecuados.