Residents urge caution on draft technology ordinance, cite water and cultural risks from data centers

During the public comment period, multiple residents pressed the board to reconsider how the county approaches technology uses and potential data center development, citing regional experiences and independent studies. Speakers warned large data centers can strain groundwater and surface water resources, and several asked the board to include environmental and tribal representatives in upcoming informational sessions.

Dan Markham, a District 3 resident, cited Chesterfield County experience and raised a specific water‑use figure: "The smallest data center in Chesterfield County uses up to 850,000 gallons of water daily," he said, and asked how similar withdrawals would affect the Potomac aquifer and local rivers. Tribal and conservation speakers also described risks to fish, mussels and cultural river uses and asked for government‑to‑government consultation before permits are issued. Other residents urged the board to require conditional use permits rather than a by‑right approach, and to invite the Department of Environmental Quality and tribal leaders to participate in forthcoming technology ordinance information sessions.