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Residents urge caution on data centers, citing local water and environmental concerns
Summary
Public commenters asked the commission to clarify whether data centers could use county water and expressed concerns that large data centers consume significant volumes of water and could worsen local groundwater stress.
During the citizen comment period Lisa Mason asked whether data centers or related infrastructure ever acquire land through eminent domain, seeking clarification after recent public discussion. A tribal community member spoke at length about the Potomac Aquifer and recent state reports, warning of declines in groundwater and citing research that “a medium sized data center can consume up to 300,000 gallons of water per day.”
John Raiford, a resident, urged the county to be cautious about technology development locally, arguing that data centers offer few local jobs while stressing environmental and quality‑of‑life concerns: “We do not want any data centers in King William County,” he said. Commissioners noted the comments and said staff is researching guidance and that the planning commission had not received any formal data‑center applications as of the meeting.
