Report warns of limited groundwater supply, saltwater risks on Virginia's Eastern Shore
A new state report from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality raises concerns about the limited groundwater supply and saltwater intrusion risks on Virginia's Eastern Shore, particularly in Accomack and Northampton counties. Environmental groups are using these findings to advocate for stricter water usage regulations on data centers and other water-intensive industrial facilities. The report recommends giving the DEQ more authority to deny withdrawal permits and for local governments to consider water availability in comprehensive plans.
A new report from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has warned about the long-term availability and quality of groundwater on Virginia's Eastern Shore, prompting environmental groups to call for increased restrictions on data centers. The study, conducted at the direction of the General Assembly, found that the broader Virginia Coastal Plain has limited capacity for significant new groundwater withdrawals.
Specifically, in Accomack County, where nearly all groundwater comes from the Yorktown-Eastover aquifer system, reported use is near historic highs. The DEQ identified several areas of concern, including potential chloride concentrations above federal drinking water standards near Chincoteague, indicating saltwater intrusion. Groundwater levels have fallen below sea level in some locations, which could draw saltwater inland or upward. The report also projects potential chloride increases near Cape Charles and Occohannock Neck in Northampton County.
The findings suggest challenges for future water-intensive development, such as large industrial facilities and data centers, which may need to rely on public water systems or reclaimed water instead of new groundwater withdrawals. The DEQ recommends that state lawmakers grant it clearer authority to deny or reduce withdrawal permits when alternative water sources are available. It also proposes requiring local governments within groundwater management areas to consider water availability in their comprehensive plans and suggests improving private well inventories, expanding groundwater monitoring, and increasing permit fees.
Following the report's release, Jay Ford, Virginia Policy Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, emphasized the precarious state of the aquifer system. He stated that "this is a system on the edge" and warned of "escalating problems like accelerating saltwater intrusion" without changes. Ford urged the administration and General Assembly to modernize water resource laws and called on regulators to impose more stringent requirements on data centers' water use, asserting that "energy-guzzling data centers" are depleting the drinking water supply and harming the ecosystem.