Northern Virginia’s Data Centers Could Cause Heat Islands and Water Shortages

Two recent studies shed light on the potential environmental impacts of the rapidly expanding data center industry in Northern Virginia. One study, involving researchers like Andrea Marinoni from the University of Cambridge, examined 6,000 data centers globally, including locations outside the US. It found that surface temperatures increased by an average of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit after a data center began operations, with extreme spikes reaching up to 16.4 degrees, potentially affecting areas up to 6.2 miles away. This phenomenon is known as the creation of "heat islands." Separately, a blog post from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) highlighted concerns about data center growth's impact on the drinking water supply in the Metropolitan Washington Area (MWA). While current data center water usage is deemed modest, the research indicates that a projected 100 million square feet of new data centers, many being hyperscale facilities, could lead to regional water supply reliability challenges. Data centers currently account for 1% of total MWA water withdrawals but represent 9% of annual consumptive water use, rising to 12% in the summer when river flows are lowest and water demand from other sources is high.