Richmond officials outline regional water capacity, planning and rate scenarios amid data‑center growth

City Chief Administrative Officer O'Dee O'Donnell and Public Utilities Director Scott Morris on Aug. 25 told the Richmond City Council’s Organizational Development Standing Committee that the city is coordinating with Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover on a regional water plan, capacity needs and rate models as the region grows.

O'Donnell and Morris said Richmond's treatment plant contributes to a regional capacity of about 132 million gallons per day serving roughly 530,000 residents. Morris described work since January reviewing condition assessments, outside engineering reports and the Virginia Department of Health sanitary survey and said the region has started a 10‑year capital improvement program (CIP) and multiple rate‑model scenarios for council and state budget consideration.

The officials said they are using a regional approach — with wholesale customer contracts that set point‑of‑entry capacities — and are testing rate assumptions that include a range of possible state funding levels. "We inputted several rate models, assumptions and scenarios," Morris said, adding the group ran a regional tabletop exercise in August that examined cybersecurity, point‑of‑entry capacities and…