Residents press board over data‑center impacts as AWS details water, jobs and tax plans

Amazon Web Services told the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 23 that its local data‑center campuses have so far generated nearly $480 million in investment in the county and that the company intends to rely on a newly built reclaimed‑water system rather than long‑term use of potable groundwater.

The company’s presentation, led by Jordan Tate of AWS, outlined three local campuses — Cosner, Summit Crossing and Carter Store — and said Cosner will include seven data‑center shells on about 330 acres. “We have invested roughly $480,000,000 into the county,” Tate said, citing AWS reporting as of June 30, 2025.

Why it matters: The session focused on whether the county’s rules give residents clear protection from industrial impacts. Multiple speakers during the public‑presentation period asked the board to codify protections the planning commission recommended — notably a 1,000‑foot buffer and limits on height and tree removal — before by‑right projects proceed.

What residents said Maria Durso, president of the Lee’s Crossing HOA, told the board the proposed ordinance language must be unambiguous. “The 1,000–foot setback should apply whether that residential parcel contains established lots with homes, undeveloped lots, or is simply zoned residential,” she said, urging the board to measure the buffer from the border of residentially zoned parcels rather than from individual lot lines.

A Lee Hill district resident who identified herself as Janie recounted a December house fire and told the board the proximity of multiple proposed data centers leaves neighbors worried about grid reliability, emergency response and potential utility cost increases.

AWS presentation: water, purple pipe and jobs AWS explained that it is funding upgrades to the county’s Massaponics wastewater treatment plant and building about 20 miles of purple‑pipe distribution to deliver reclaimed water for cooling. “We will use exclusively reclaimed water,” Jordan Tate said, adding that the Massaponics upgrade and related work are part of an estimated $460 million investment in the reclaimed system.

AWS water and timing: Board members pressed for specifics. Tate said the Massaponics improvements and the purple‑pipe backbone are expected to be delivered in 2028; until then AWS expects to rely on potable water only when necessary and to ramp down potable use as the purple‑pipe system comes online.

Taxes, incentives and community investments Tate said AWS will pay property taxes and that Virginia law requires taxes be paid up front; the state’s uniformity clause allows a grant‑back structure rather than abatement. “We will pay taxes annually and then receive a grant back,” he said, describing the post‑performance structure in the performance agreement the board approved in 2023.

On workforce development, AWS highlighted a Germanna Community College pre‑apprenticeship pilot that graduated about 21 students in the first run and said most participants were hired in the week after graduation. The company also described a $300,000 Amazon Community Fund offering grants to local nonprofits.

Board concerns and follow‑up Supervisors repeatedly pressed AWS on proprietary redactions in water agreements and on long‑term assurances that reclaimed water will prevent impacts to potable supplies. AWS officials said proprietary engineering details are protected under Virginia trade‑secret law but said relevant technical materials have been shared with utilities and county staff under confidentiality arrangements.

What’s next: The board asked AWS and county staff for documentation on the reclaimed‑water schedule, the Massaponics design and the mechanics of the grant‑back tax incentive. The presentation ended with the supervisors thanking AWS; the board did not take a formal vote on new policy at this meeting.