Published agency index · Reviewed
Inside Virginia’s public well records
Statewide records combine multiple source agencies and can vary in completeness and location accuracy.
These are retrieved public records, shown so you can see the identifiers, available values and gaps before running your own lookup. They are regional examples, not a statewide sample or a prediction for a property.
| Public record ID | Published locality | Published use / type | Status / location quality | Recorded depth | Reported rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51087-00046 | Richmond | hotel | UnknownRed | 572 ft | 0 in source (verify meaning) |
| 51087-00050 | Richmond | hotel | UnknownRed | 702 ft | 0 in source (verify meaning) |
| 51087-00157 | Richmond | pub. | UnknownRed | 305 ft | 0 in source (verify meaning) |
Depths are converted from the lookup’s normalized meters to feet. Reported rate can represent yield, a pump-test rate or pump capacity depending on the source; these values are historical and are not interchangeable. A source zero can be a placeholder or a reported result: verify its meaning in the original file. “Not reported” means no comparable value was retained, not zero and not proof that the original file lacks all information.
How to verify a Virginia record
Compare the VDGMR, WWCR and any USGS identifiers with the source-agency and status fields. Yield, pump rate and test duration are separate evidence; read the linked file before assigning a nearby well to a parcel.
Open Virginia Water Wells ↗ and search for the identifiers above. Compare the original filing, location method and well type with seller documents and a physical well identifier.
What the published index contains
On October 23, 2026, the public layer returned 19,937 rows. Of those, 19,617 had a positive value in TD.
These are unfiltered layer-row counts, including the record types and repeat filings published by the agency. They are not a count of unique domestic wells, a completeness estimate, or a check of current well condition.
Review method: up to three distinct public identifiers selected in returned distance order from an existing regional lookup, without selecting for an attractive depth or yield. Re-run the example lookup ↗ · How these reviews are prepared
Virginia Water Wells
Virginia Department of Energy
Statewide records combine multiple source agencies and can vary in completeness and location accuracy.
How to interpret Virginia's statewide water-well records
The Virginia Department of Energy's mapped water-well collection combines records contributed by different source agencies. Two wells shown near one address can have very different field coverage and location precision. Start with the original record identifier rather than assuming the closest dot is the home's well.
| Source field | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Well identifier and source agency | Record identifiers help you trace the filing back to its source. Because data comes from multiple contributors, not every row contains the same construction details. | Ask the seller for drilling paperwork or a physical tag that can be matched to the source filing. |
| Total depth, static level and reported yield | These are recorded observations associated with a particular well at a particular time. Blank yield or depth fields are not evidence of a dry or shallow well. | Request current flow and recovery information; historical yield is not a household performance guarantee. |
| Aquifer, casing and mapped location | Geologic and construction fields can help compare nearby records, but completeness and positioning vary by filing. | Confirm the actual serving well on the property, not just the nearest plotted point. |
Practical record-checking steps
- Search the street address, then compare record IDs and distances of the nearby Virginia records.
- Open the official Virginia source for the most plausible record and check which source agency supplied it.
- Match identifiers and available construction details to seller documents before relying on the recorded depth or yield.
Not reliably by proximity alone. The statewide collection aggregates source agencies, and some records have approximate positions. An on-site identifier and the original record are needed to support a match.
Check the actual published record: Open the official state source ↗. Use the public identifiers in the examples above to trace the source. A nearby record alone does not confirm which well serves a property.
Optional Property Report — $29.99 USD: A four-page PDF that organizes nearby public records, source-data gaps and buyer verification questions for the searched property. Preview the sample PDF ↗. The address search remains free.
Virginia coverage limitation
Virginia combines records from multiple source agencies and not every database row has the same level of construction detail or location accuracy. A nearby mapped record is not proof of parcel association.
Public Virginia source
WellLookup is independent of Virginia Department of Energy. The underlying public source is Virginia Water Wells. WellLookup adds address search, nearby-record comparison and property-focused reporting; it preserves the published source values.
Related well research
Understand how mapped well records should be interpreted around a property.
Compare nearby recorded depths without treating neighboring wells as a prediction.
Connect records with inspection, testing and purchase due diligence.