Virginia Study Warns Data Centers Face Groundwater Limits

Virginia has released a delayed study finding that groundwater supplies in the eastern coastal plain are constrained and likely to decline as population and industrial water demand grow. The study concludes that a major new water-intensive industrial user, including a data center relying on evaporative cooling, would be unlikely to secure a reliable groundwater supply under current conditions. It recommends stronger state permitting powers, evaluation of surface-water and reuse options, improved water planning, and clearer protection of drinking-water needs.