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Caroline County adopts new water‑utility code changes, limits potable use by data centers
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted amendments to Chapters 93‑1 and 112 that revise water fees, add Director authority to limit high‑demand uses, and prohibit permanent use of county potable water by data centers while allowing limited emergency 'top‑off' use.
The Caroline County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted amendments to Chapter 93‑1 and Chapter 112 of the county code on March 10, 2026, changing water utility fees and adding new restrictions on high‑demand users.
The adopted package reinstates a fire protection availability fee structured by meter size, lowers the advertised bulk water application fee to $100 with a monthly permit fee of $48.80 and a bulk rate of $18 per thousand gallons, replaces the plan‑review cost plus 20% method with a flat fee equal to 3% of estimated construction cost, and codifies the county's existing $50 return check fee. The board also approved an increase to the Caroline Pines capital reserve fee from $20.24 to $25.07 per month with a $5 per year escalator through 2029.
Chapter 112 was amended to add a water system management section that grants the Director of Public Works/Utilities authority to impose conditions on water use to protect system integrity — including usage limits for high‑demand commercial users — and explicitly prohibits permanent use of county potable water by data centers or similar facilities for cooling. The Director may authorize temporary or emergency 'top‑off' use, and aggrieved parties have 30 days to appeal a Director decision to the Board.
The changes followed a combined first‑reading waiver and a public hearing. Environmental and watershed advocates, including Brent Hunsinger of Friends of the Rappahannock and Pat Calvert of American Rivers, spoke in support of the data‑center prohibition, citing regional water pressures. Chairman Clayton T. Forehand confirmed emergency 'top‑off' use would be permitted under the ordinance.
The motion to dispense with the first reading and to adopt the amendments carried on unanimous votes. The Board's adoption implements both fee adjustments that affect customer billing and a policy change intended to prioritize community potable water for residents and essential services.
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