Data Centers Are Draining Virginia Dry. Could Rainwater Harvesting Be the Fix?
A Virginia family business is advocating for mandatory rainwater harvesting in data centers to address Northern Virginia's severe aquifer depletion. Their efforts led to Senate Bill 521, which would require new data centers to implement rainwater harvesting, but the bill has been continued to the 2027 legislative session for further study. Industry groups and Google opposed the bill, while environmentalists supported it, highlighting the debate over water usage and regulation in the state's data center hub.
Virginia is confronting a significant water scarcity issue, particularly in Northern Virginia, which hosts the world's largest concentration of data centers. A family-run business from Newport News, Go Green Auto Care, led by Tyrone and Leslie Jarvis, has championed rainwater harvesting as a solution after successfully implementing a potable system at their own business. Their advocacy resulted in the introduction of Senate Bill 521 by Sen. Creigh Deeds for the 2026 General Assembly session, which would mandate rainwater harvesting systems for new or expanded data centers.
The bill, however, faced opposition from industry groups, including Google and the Data Center Coalition, who argued that companies are already exploring such measures and that a workgroup approach would be more effective. Environmental activist Ben Verschoor, co-founder of the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance, supported the bill, citing concerns over Google's proposed facility in Botetourt County potentially drawing 8 million gallons of water daily. The bill did not advance to a vote and was continued to the 2027 session, pending a joint study by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Health on the effects of rainwater harvesting on the hydrologic cycle.
Experts like Landon Marston, an associate professor at Virginia Tech, complicate the debate by explaining that a significant portion of a data center's water footprint is indirect, stemming from electricity generation off-site. He argues that rooftop harvesting, as proposed by SB521, would only offset a small fraction of the total water demand for hyperscale facilities. However, Shawn Crawford of Rainwater Management Solutions contends that comprehensive on-site capture, including retention ponds and parking lot storage, could achieve a 20-60% reduction in annual water consumption, offering both environmental and practical benefits like reduced maintenance costs. Starting in January 2027, Virginia will also begin requiring waterworks operators to report data center water use separately, a step towards greater transparency though not company-specific. The Jarvis family and their nonprofit, the Society for a Secure and Sustainable Water Future, remain committed to pushing for broader rainwater harvesting mandates.