§22-11-2. Declaration of policy.

(a) It is declared to be the public policy of the State of West Virginia to maintain reasonable standards of purity and quality of the water of the state consistent with: (1) Public health and public enjoyment thereof; (2) the propagation and protection of animal, bird, fish, aquatic and plant life; and (3) the expansion of employment opportunities, maintenance and expansion of agriculture and the provision of a permanent foundation for healthy industrial development.

(b) It is also the public policy of the State of West Virginia that the water resources of this state with respect to the quantity thereof be available for reasonable use by all of the citizens of this state.