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Warren County supervisor presents draft ordinance to ban industrial well water use, cites state code and Loudoun study
Summary
Supervisor Dr. Jamieson delivered the first public presentation of a proposed ordinance to prohibit industrial-scale groundwater withdrawals, asking the board to consider the measure at next week's work session and citing Virginia statutes and neighboring-county precedent.
Supervisor Dr. Jamieson introduced a proposed ordinance to prohibit industrial-scale withdrawals from private wells in Warren County, saying the measure is aimed at protecting the county's groundwater supply and the wells on which most residents rely. He presented statutory citations and examples from other Virginia counties and asked the board to place the ordinance on the next work session agenda.
Jamieson said the proposal is rooted in what he called the county's responsibility to protect access to reliable, clean groundwater. "The vast majority of Warren County residents depend on private wells drawing from our groundwater system," he said in his presentation, adding that recent droughts and neighboring Loudoun County's groundwater study show local groundwater conditions are declining.
He cited specific state authority during his remarks, saying Warren County could rely on Virginia Code §15.2-1200 (county authority to adopt measures for health, safety and welfare) and provisions of the Virginia Groundwater Management Act and Virginia Code §62.1-44.15(5) to adopt protections beyond state requirements. Jamieson also pointed to groundwater protection ordinances already in place on portions of the Eastern Shore as practical precedents.
Jamieson framed the proposal as a precaution against data-center and other industrial uses that can require large daily water withdrawals. He described examples from other states and counties, saying some data centers use tens of thousands to millions of gallons per day and that Loudoun County had recorded well failures near large facilities.
He urged the board to weigh the risk of litigation against the risk of allowing industrial consumption to deplete the groundwater resource, and said supporting documentation and legal research would accompany the ordinance at further meetings. The supervisor said the measure would be discussed at next week's work session.
The presentation did not include a formal motion or vote; Jamieson asked for public debate and indicated staff and the board would continue review. No formal ordinance text was adopted at the meeting.
