Spanberger Held This Data Center Water Warning for 6 Months

Virginia’s groundwater is under real pressure east of Richmond, and a long-delayed state report just confirmed it. Even modest data centers could exceed aquifer capacity in most of the region.

Uriah Kiser breaks down the new Virginia Department of Environmental Quality study on data centers and the Coastal Plain aquifer system. The report, due out in January but released only recently after more than six months, finds that aquifers east of Interstate 95 lack the capacity for significant new groundwater withdrawals.

Modeling showed that a 100-megawatt data center — small by today’s standards — would exceed available groundwater in most locations. Only one site, near Kilmarnock on the Northern Neck, showed enough capacity under the scenarios tested.

Withdrawals in one county can lower water levels dozens of miles away. A proposed site in James City County near Williamsburg, for example, could affect levels in Caroline County 68 miles away and Henrico County 77 miles away. The system is connected. The DEQ recommends that lawmakers strengthen the agency’s authority to deny groundwater permits when surface water, reservoirs, or recycled water are reasonably available, or when withdrawals would drop levels too far.

The Data Center Coalition pushed back, noting that data centers account for less than 0.5% of statewide water withdrawals and use less than several other industries. Still, the report’s findings raise hard questions about future development east of Richmond and how Virginia balances economic growth with long-term water security.

Governor Abigail Spanberger’s office released the report to the Associated Press after months of delays, attributing the holdup to a backlog from the prior administration. Advocacy groups had pressed for its release.

What does this mean for Virginia voters, local governments, and the next wave of data center proposals? Watch for the full breakdown.

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