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Public warns of groundwater stress and calls for regional coordination on data‑center approvals
Summary
A public commenter told commissioners groundwater levels are at historic lows and urged King George County to delay approvals for data centers that use large volumes of water until regional studies by VIMS are complete; commissioners and staff said county rules already prohibit use of water for data‑center cooling.
During the citizens’ public‑comment period, Aaron Eliasson of the James Madison District told the planning commission that "groundwater levels are at historic lows" and warned the county that unchecked withdrawals—particularly from large data centers—could deplete the aquifer. Eliasson cited a Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) study authorized by the state general assembly and said VIMS will present findings by Oct. 1, 2028; he asked the county and the regional planning commission to defer major approvals until the science is complete and water usage is coordinated regionally.
Commission members responded at the meeting. Commissioner Nicely said that, "at least since I've been on it," recent data‑center applications to the county have not proposed water‑cooling systems, and Commissioner Maffet told the room that it is "expressly prohibited in the county for a data center to use water for cooling purposes," a restriction commissioners said is in county regulations.
The commission did not take policy action on data‑center approvals at the meeting; commissioners noted regional coordination and the ongoing VIMS study as context for future land‑use decisions.
