Communities
HarrisonburgRockingham CountyStauntonWaynesboroAugusta CountyFishersvilleShenandoah CountyPage CountyAll communitiesValley Guide
Four electric suppliers, city water or a well, county trash sites, and heating fuel that depends on the road.
The short answer
Utilities in the Valley change with the address, sometimes from one side of a road to the other. Harrisonburg has its own electric commission, Dominion and two cooperatives cover most of the rest, cities run water, counties run landfills and drop-off sites, and homes outside gas lines heat with propane, oil or wood.
Valley Guide
Four suppliers share the Valley, and the boundaries do not follow city or county lines. Service territory is tied to the pole outside the house, so two neighbors can have different companies. Before making an offer, ask the seller for a recent bill, or ask the supplier to confirm the address. Within each supplier, starting service is usually a phone call or online form with a few days' notice.
City of Harrisonburg
The city's own electric utility, serving customers inside the city limits. Outside the city, Harrisonburg addresses on the edge of town and county homes with a Harrisonburg mailing address are often served by someone else, so confirm by address.
Staunton, Waynesboro, Bridgewater and parts of Rockingham and Augusta
Serves Staunton, Waynesboro and much of the surrounding counties. In Bridgewater, the town reports Dominion serves about 95 percent of the town and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative the remaining 5 percent.
Rural Rockingham, Augusta, Shenandoah and Page counties
A member-owned cooperative headquartered near Harrisonburg at 180 Oakwood Drive. Its territory covers rural stretches of Rockingham, Augusta, Shenandoah and Page counties and reaches north toward Frederick and Warren. Phone (800) 234-7832.
Pockets of Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties
Lists portions of 22 Virginia counties, including Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah. It serves parts of each county, not whole counties, so a Page or Shenandoah address may sit on either cooperative's lines.
Valley Guide
Inside cities and larger towns, water and sewer are public utilities billed by the locality. Outside them, many homes use a private well and a septic system, which have no monthly bill but do carry maintenance and testing responsibilities. If a listing says town water, confirm which town, because some county homes buy water from a nearby town's lines.
Harrisonburg
Bring a photo ID, ownership or lease papers, and a deposit of $150 for a standard meter, or a letter of credit from a prior utility. Service is connected the next business day; same-day costs extra. Phone (540) 434-9959.
Staunton
The city runs its own water and sewer. Homes inside the city limits are generally expected to connect to city sewer rather than septic. Start or transfer service with the city before closing.
Waynesboro
Water, sewer and refuse accounts are billed through the city's utility customer service office at 503 West Main Street, phone (540) 942-6643. The city's utility page also links to the electric and gas suppliers.
Page, Shenandoah and Rockingham counties
Luray's charter lets the town set water, sewer and electric rates. Woodstock, Strasburg, Bridgewater and other towns run their own water systems. Rural parcels often rely on wells and septic, so ask for the last well test and septic pump-out record.
Valley Guide
Trash is the biggest difference between living in a city and living in a county. Cities and some towns pick up at the curb. Most county households haul their own to a convenience site or the landfill, or hire a private hauler. Hours and accepted items change, so call before the first trip with a truck bed full of boxes from the move.
Rockingham County
The landfill at 813 Greendale Road is open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone (540) 564-3159. Residential loads under 250 pounds are free. Convenience sites operate in Bergton, Elkton, Grottoes, Mauzy and Ottobine.
Shenandoah County
The county runs 12 citizen convenience sites, from Fort Valley and Orkney Springs to Strasburg and Maurertown, plus a landfill at 349 Landfill Road in Edinburg. Bulky items go to the landfill. County office phone (540) 459-6165.
Staunton and Waynesboro
Staunton moved to standardized 95-gallon carts with pay-as-you-throw pricing in 2025 and ended curbside recycling in 2021 in favor of a drop-off center. Waynesboro bills refuse with water and sends bulk items to the Augusta County Regional Landfill.
Strasburg and Page County
Strasburg contracts curbside pickup with a private company at $17.20 per household as of July 2026. Page County operates landfill and compactor sites; call the county at (540) 743-4142 for locations and hours.
Valley Guide
Internet quality varies more than any other utility. Towns and the edges of cities often have fiber or cable. Hollows, mountain roads and some county back roads have been waiting years for a line. Because coverage is decided building by building, check the exact address with the provider and the state's broadband map, and ask the seller what speeds they actually receive.
Rockingham and Shenandoah counties
Shentel has built fiber in towns across Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, with the company reporting more than 8,000 Rockingham locations planned and more than 7,000 Shenandoah County locations reached. Availability still depends on the street.
Rural Augusta, Page and Rockingham
A coalition including All Points Broadband, both electric cooperatives and Dominion was formed to bring fiber to unserved parts of Augusta, Page, Rockingham, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Progress differs by county.
Statewide
The federal approval of Virginia's plan in November 2025 sends about $613 million to 24 providers for roughly 90,000 unserved locations, with construction from 2026 to 2029. The Affordable Connectivity Program ended in 2024; the FCC's Lifeline benefit continues.
Valley Guide
Winters bring real cold, so heating is a purchase to plan, not an afterthought. Natural gas is available only along existing mains, which means most towns and some suburbs. Beyond them, homes heat with propane, heating oil, electric heat pumps or wood. Fuel prices move week to week, so ask for last year's usage instead of a price per gallon.
Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg and nearby towns
The regulated gas utility for the Valley. Its Staunton operations cover Staunton, Waynesboro, Fishersville, Verona and Stuarts Draft; its northern area includes Harrisonburg, Dayton, Elkton, Broadway, Timberville and New Market. Access varies street by street.
Rural parcels throughout the Valley
Delivered by local dealers to a tank at the house. Ask whether the tank is owned or leased, because a leased tank usually ties you to that supplier, and ask for the previous year's delivery total.
Statewide
Income-eligible households can apply for heating help through CommonHelp or by phone at (855) 635-4370. State rules limit the window to between September 1 and March 31, and recent seasons have opened for only about a month in the fall.
Before you move
Electric and gas territories do not follow ZIP codes, city limits or school zones. Ask the seller for a recent bill, or call the supplier with the street address. A wrong assumption can mean a different deposit, a different outage line and a different rate.
Cities generally want applications and deposits a few days before the move. Harrisonburg connects water the next business day, but same-day service costs extra. Schedule the transfers when the closing date is firm, and keep photos of meter readings.
Private wells and septic systems are owned and maintained by the homeowner. A water test, a septic pump-out record and a system inspection are normal parts of a purchase. Ask what was done and when.
Ice storms and wind events can cut power to mountain and hollow roads for days. Cooperatives post outage maps, and many rural homes keep a generator, a wood stove or a propane heater as a backup. Ask the seller what they use.
County households often need a vehicle and a free hour each week for the convenience site, or a private hauler. Hours change with the season and holidays, and some sites are closed one day a week. Confirm before moving day.
Inside the Harrisonburg city limits, electricity comes from the Harrisonburg Electric Commission, the city's own utility. Nearby county addresses may be served by Dominion Energy or Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative instead, so confirm the supplier with the address rather than the mailing city.
Submit the city's application with a photo ID, lease or ownership papers, and a $150 deposit for a standard meter or a qualifying letter of credit. Email [email protected] or mail the documents, then call (540) 434-9959. Service is connected the next business day.
Yes, but only along existing mains. Columbia Gas of Virginia serves Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg and several nearby towns. Homes outside those lines heat with propane, heating oil, electricity or wood, so check availability for the specific address before assuming gas.
Fiber is available in many towns, and several state and cooperative projects are extending lines to unserved rural roads through 2029. Coverage still varies house by house, so check the address with the provider and the state broadband map before buying.
Households outside city pickup take trash to one of the county convenience sites or the landfill at 813 Greendale Road. The landfill is open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Residential loads under 250 pounds are free. Call (540) 564-3159 to confirm holiday hours.
This guide is a starting point for newcomers. Hours, programs, providers and boundaries change, so confirm details with the organization. A listing here is not an endorsement.