Stafford supervisors vote to condemn land for reuse water system
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 4-2-1 to begin condemning nine parcels needed for a county-owned reuse-water pipeline. The so-called purple pipe will primarily supply cooling water to data centers, while nearby residents oppose the loss of wooded land and the use of eminent domain.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved the condemnation process for nine parcels needed to build a reuse-water pipeline through woods near the Somerset Landing subdivision. The system, known as the purple pipe, will be built by data center developers but owned by the county and used primarily to provide treated, non-potable water for data center cooling and potentially other industrial users.
Residents Quinn and other Curran family members urged supervisors to protect the woods, which they described as an important part of their lives. Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs acknowledged the emotional impact but said the county had agreed to use eminent domain if developers could not secure the necessary rights of way. Ten property owners have settled with the developers, while nine have not, prompting the county action. The votes on all nine matters were 4-2-1, with Vice Chairwoman Maya Guy and Supervisor Crystal Vanuch opposed and Supervisor Tinesha Allen abstaining.