Maps of Sewage Sludge Application Areas
Make Connections With Maps
Below are three different ways to view information about where sewage sludge has been spread in Virginia, along with links to access the map and basic directions on how to use them. Each map makes different information available, so getting a full picture of any particular site requires using more than one map.
Read more about how the data for this map was collected and other important contextual information HERE.
Biosolids Application Areas in Virginia by Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance
This map built by ABRA has overlay layers that include:
areas where sludge has been applied
sludge storage facilities
impaired rivers and streams
sites where VDH tested water for PFAS.
How to use it:
You can control which layers are visible using the legend on the right of the map. Clicking on the VDH sites will reveal information about the test results. The map has controls on the upper left to zoom in and out or search for a specific place.
Detail from the DEQ map, showing the Map Layers button clicked and Biosolids Areas made visible.
State Map of Biosolids Application Areas by Virginia DEQ
On the DEQ Environmental Data Hub, there are several interactive maps. Biosolids information is on the Environmental Data Mapper. Clicking on a specific biosolids area will reveal a pop-up window with:
DEQ Control Number and FIPS code
acreage area
permit date(s).
How to use it:
From the Hub page, click on the Environmental Data Mapper button. Agree to the terms and conditions to enter. Open Map Layers menu, expand DEQ Layers, then Biosolids Layers, then check the box by Biosolids areas.
Zoom to an area or search for an address with the search bar, upper left. Click on the Help and User Guide for more detailed instructions.
This map combines data from the four properties on the VPA01587 permit application with watershed overlays.
VPA01587 + Watersheds Map
This map was a surprise gift from a friend of Don’t Spread On Me. It combines the location data of fields on the properties listed on the permit application for permit VPA01587 with an overlay of all the watersheds in Albemarle that these areas drain into.
The map has a lot of interactive options that let you see how the spreading areas might interact with surface waters, including drinking water supplies.
Using the interactive map and search, you can track the progress of any permit applications made to DEQ.
Virginia DEQ’s PEEP System
When permit applications are submitted to DEQ, they will be entered into the Permit Enhancement and Evaluation Platform (PEEP) system. You can look for and track the progress of many kinds of applications. The VPA (Virginia Pollution Abatement) applications are the ones for land application of Class B Biosolids.
How to use it:
You can scroll down below the map and find all the applications listed by county. To find all the VPA permit applications in progress in the state, select the “Program Type” dropdown, uncheck “All,” check “VPA,” then submit.
This map tracks permit applications in progress. Once approved, the permits are no longer visible here.
County GIS Maps
Most Virginia counties have some sort of publicly-accessible map service. But what these maps reveal varies widely from county to county.
Until recently, you could view overlays that showed where Biosolids had been spread in Albemarle County. But in 2025, the county suffered a hacking incident and changed its GIS system completely.
You can help bring back this functionality to our county GIS system by taking a minute to email the staff and ask for it. Use the button below.
Detail from the old version of the Albemarle County GIS map, showing Biosolids overlay enabled and map refreshed.