Long-delayed state study warns eastern Virginia aquifer may decline, urges tighter rules
A long-delayed state study in Virginia has warned that the eastern coastal plain region's critical aquifer is likely to decline due to population growth and industrial water use, including from data centers. The report urges state regulators to adopt stricter rules for water withdrawal permits and to require industrial users to explore alternative water sources. State lawmakers are now tasked with evaluating the findings to protect Virginia's future water supply.
Virginia, the world's largest data center hub, has released a long-delayed study warning that the eastern region's critical aquifer faces likely decline due to population growth and industrial water usage, including from data centers. The report, produced by environmental scientists, found that the groundwater supply in Virginia's populous eastern coastal plain is constrained and projected to decline. It recommends that state regulators be granted more authority to reject industrial water withdrawal permits, compel users to explore alternative water sources, and strengthen enforcement against over-users. The study suggests that under current conditions, it is unlikely a new data center utilizing evaporative cooling would find a sufficient, reliable groundwater supply in the region.
The release of the more than 100-page report by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger's office followed months of refusal from the state Department of Environmental Quality, raising transparency concerns. State Sen. Richard Stuart, a conservative Republican from Virginia's coastal Northern Neck, had championed the bill requiring the study, citing long-running concerns about water strain in his district. He noted that local governments are increasingly being told to shift to surface water sources due to groundwater depletion, coinciding with numerous new data centers coming online.
The report also highlighted that while most existing and planned data centers in Virginia are in areas primarily drawing from surface water, comprehensive public data on groundwater-sourced withdrawals from these facilities is lacking. With 371 data centers currently operating and another 438 planned statewide, Governor Spanberger's spokesperson, Jack Bledsoe, stated the Governor is committed to evaluating the findings and working with the General Assembly to strengthen groundwater management policies and protect the Commonwealth's water supply.