What we know and don’t know about data center water discharge in Virginia
Limited data exists on potential chemicals in Virginia data centers' discharge water, raising concerns about "forever chemicals" (PFAS) contaminating natural sources. Amazon's data center projects in Louisa County are subject to state permits for water discharge, which currently do not mandate PFAS testing. Community members and environmental advocates are pushing for more rigorous testing requirements.
There is a significant lack of data regarding potential chemicals, specifically per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in the water discharged by data centers in Virginia. While most data centers release water into municipal wastewater systems, at least one Amazon facility in Louisa County is permitted to discharge directly into Northeast Creek, and another Amazon project near Lake Anna is seeking a similar permit for Sedges Creek. These discharges are pretreated and monitored for certain metals and temperature by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), but PFAS testing is not currently required.
Community members and environmental groups like EarthJustice express growing concern over the unknown chemical makeup of this discharge water, fearing potential contamination and health risks. They point out that PFAS can be present in cooling systems and equipment, yet there are no state or federal requirements for data centers to test for these chemicals in their discharge. Virginia's General Assembly recently advanced legislation (Senate Bill 138) requiring other entities, such as public wastewater treatment facilities and industrial companies using PFAS, to test their discharge, but data centers are not currently included.
Amazon states its Louisa County facilities primarily use air-cooling, with water-based evaporative cooling used only about 4% of the year. They affirm that discharged non-contact cooling water is treated to state environmental standards. While the draft permit for the new Amazon data center into Sedges Creek allows for future alterations to include PFAS testing if regulators deem it necessary, advocates argue immediate testing is crucial. A public hearing for the Sedges Creek permit is scheduled for June 9, 2026, where DEQ will make final decisions on its approval.