Coast, capital and valley water
Norfolk and Virginia Beach share reservoir water supplemented by the Lake Gaston pipeline, which is mild on tanks, though nor'easters and hurricane surge regularly reach garages and crawlspaces in Hampton Roads. Richmond treats James River water, and Fairfax Water serves much of Northern Virginia from the Potomac and the Occoquan Reservoir. In the Shenandoah Valley, private wells in limestone often deliver hard water that calls for regular flushing and descaling.
DPOR licenses, statewide code and costs
In Virginia, the DPOR Board for Contractors issues licenses to plumbing firms and also to individual tradesmen such as master plumbers and gas fitters. Localities enforce the Uniform Statewide Building Code and issue their own permits for a heater swap. Simple repairs in Virginia commonly land from $150 to $625, while a new 40- or 50-gallon tank usually runs about $1,500 to $3,200 installed; see water heater replacement.