Article Text
Virginia has finally released a long-withheld study on groundwater in its eastern coastal region, and the findings paint a troubling picture for the world’s largest data center hub.
The report, kept under wraps for more than six months before Governor Abigail Spanberger’s office provided it to the Associated Press Thursday, concludes that a critical aquifer faces declining availability due to population growth and industrial use. Scientists who produced the study are calling for significantly tighter regulations on water withdrawals.
Regulatory Overhaul Recommended
The study urges lawmakers to give regulators more power to reject industrial water withdrawal permits, require companies to explore alternative water sources before tapping groundwater, and crack down on users who may be exceeding their permitted withdrawals.
“We’re standing on the ledge,” said Jay Ford, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia policy manager, after reviewing the report Friday.
Data centers require substantial water to cool their servers, and Virginia hosts hundreds of these facilities with many more under development. The report found that under current conditions, it appears unlikely a data center using evaporative cooling technology could find a reliable groundwater supply anywhere in the region.
A Familiar Warning Ignored
State Senator Richard Stuart, a conservative Republican representing Virginia’s coastal Northern Neck region, said he’s been raising alarms about groundwater for at least 15 years. Local governments in his district are already being told they must shift to surface water sources because groundwater is under too much strain.
“Folks worry about the lack of the ability for growth. A lot of them are talking about industrial and commercial,” Stuart said. “I’m worried about our citizens having drinking water, and I’m worried about our seafood industry because they need clean water.”
The report traced some positive history: groundwater withdrawals dropped sharply about 15 years ago when a paper mill closed, and regulatory efforts helped water levels rise in the region’s biggest aquifer. But those trends have stalled. Water levels throughout the aquifer are now projected to resume their decline.
Transparency Questions Linger
The delayed release had drawn criticism from advocacy organizations and a committee advising state regulators on groundwater issues. Stuart himself said he had been unable to obtain a copy despite having passed the legislation requiring the study.
The Associated Press sought the report through an open records request, but the Department of Environmental Quality refused to provide it. Only after AP requested comment for a story about the refusal did the governor’s office release the document.
A spokesperson attributed the delay to a backlog from the previous administration and said Spanberger is committed to working with lawmakers to strengthen groundwater management policies.
Across the state, 371 data centers are currently operating with another 438 planned, according to Cleanview, a company tracking power infrastructure development. The groundwater concerns extend beyond Virginia to states including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Georgia, and South Carolina.