Resident urges board not to allow data centers, citing water concerns

John Mark Jones, a resident who moved to Appomattox County from Northern Virginia, used the public-comment period to urge supervisors to reject data-center development unless water impacts and enforceability of local standards are assured. "Data centers obviously take a significant significant amount of water," Jones said, adding that his experience in Northern Virginia showed negative community impacts can accompany large data centers.

Jones told the board he had attended a local economic-development meeting and heard the potential tax and job benefits, but said the fiscal gains "do not outweigh the money" lost to impacts on residents and county resources. The chair replied that agreements related to water and the data center would be reviewed in closed session and any recommendation would be returned to the public meeting for a vote, meaning no further public detail would be presented that night.