Western Virginia Water Authority addresses concerns about water supply, Google data center in Botetourt County
The Western Virginia Water Authority is addressing community concerns about water supply amidst drought conditions and the development of a Google data center in Botetourt County. The Authority assures residents that its infrastructure planning, including a $20 million upgrade in Botetourt County, is robust and designed to ensure long-term water security for existing customers and accommodate new major developments like Google's without negative impacts. They emphasize that development costs fall on developers and that treated wastewater meets strict environmental standards.
Will Bulloss, Chief Strategy Officer for the Western Virginia Water Authority, detailed the Authority's commitment to long-term water security for its customers, particularly in light of a major Google data center project in Botetourt County and ongoing drought conditions. He explained that the Authority, formed 22 years ago, bases its planning on historical data and has launched a new reservoir level dashboard for transparency. Bulloss emphasized that new developments, including data centers, are required to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades to avoid impacting current customers or the environment, a principle agreed upon with Google.
He clarified that recent infrastructure projects, such as a five-year, $20 million plan for Botetourt County including a new pumping station and pipe installations, were planned for existing customers and would have proceeded independently of Google's announcement. The Authority is confident in its ability to meet the data center's initial water demand, citing the system's proven capacity during similar past droughts. Bulloss also addressed concerns about Carvins Cove's water levels not impacting local groundwater and assured that wastewater from Google's facilities would be treated at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant, meeting strict pretreatment requirements before discharge into the Roanoke River. The Authority is also exploring water reuse options and developing an updated regional water supply plan in compliance with state requirements, considering diverse strategies for future water security in a changing climate.