Virginia data centers subject to same water restrictions as other customers amid drought
Amid severe drought conditions, Virginia's state and local officials confirm that data centers are subject to the same water use restrictions as all other commercial, industrial, and residential customers. The Department of Environmental Quality oversees groundwater withdrawal permits, with local authorities responsible for implementing and enforcing specific drought-related water limits. Some localities are considering policy updates for future data center water usage.
Virginia is currently facing extreme drought conditions across approximately one-third of the state, prompting Governor Abigail Spanberger to urge water conservation among citizens. State and local officials have clarified that data centers, which utilize hundreds of thousands of gallons of water for cooling, are subject to the same water use restrictions as all other commercial, industrial, and residential customers during a drought. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issues permits for public water authorities to withdraw groundwater, and these authorities are then responsible for managing and limiting water use locally based on weather conditions. Weedon Cloe, manager of the Office of Water Supply at DEQ, stated that permittees are "very cognizant" of their withdrawals and have limits "baked in" to prevent resource depletion.
DEQ is also reviewing procedures within its drought assessment and response plan, as the state is experiencing its worst drought in decades, last seen in 2002. Drought conditions are categorized into three stages: watch, warning, and emergency, with mandatory restrictions imposed during an emergency. Henrico County's director of public utilities, Bentley Chan, noted that only one of their eleven data centers ranks among the top ten water users, with apartment complexes and hospitals consuming more water. Chan emphasized that all customers, including industrial users, are asked to participate in mandatory restrictions.
Similar policies are in place in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, which collectively host over 200 data centers. In Norfolk, where no water-using data centers are currently online, a utility representative indicated that future data center proposals would be evaluated against capacity and needs to ensure adequate provision for all customers. The Western Virginia Water Authority, serving the Roanoke area, is considering policy updates in anticipation of a Google data center, authorized to use up to 8 million gallons of water per day, expected to come online by 2028.