Virginia's drought is so severe even data centers face the same water limits as everyone else

As drought conditions deepen in Virginia, localities are being pushed to make tougher choices about how water is used. Data centers, despite being among the state's heaviest water users, generally are not exempt from those limits.

What's happening?

Questions about special treatment for data centers are growing as roughly one-third of Virginia faces extreme drought, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger calls on residents to conserve water. Even though these facilities can use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day for cooling, state and local officials told the Virginia Mercury that in several Virginia communities, they are subject to the same drought restrictions as residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Weedon Cloe, manager of the Office of Water Supply at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, said local water systems operate under groundwater withdrawal permits that already account for seasonal constraints.

"They have the limits, and those limits are baked in during specific times of the year to ensure that the resource is not depleted," Cloe said.

Officials say the current dry spell ranks as Virginia's most severe in decades, the Virginia Mercury reported. The last time the state saw comparable dryness was in 2002, and the response to that drought helped shape the standards still used today.

Why does it matter?

Water stress is no longer a distant threat in many parts of Virginia. As the Virginia Mercury noted, rainfall for the rain year, which started last October, is running roughly 8 inches below normal. This is drawing more attention to major water users, particularly industries linked to rapid development.

Data centers are a major part of the internet and artificial intelligence boom, but they are also increasingly tied to electricity demand and local water supplies. While AI can help improve clean energy systems, forecast electricity use, and boost grid efficiency, the infrastructure supporting it can also increase energy consumption, strain water resources used for cooling, raise security and misuse concerns, and contribute to higher utility costs when growth outpaces planning.

Heavy water use does not always come from the places residents might expect. Bentley Chan, director of Henrico County's Department of Public Utilities, said that only one of the county's 11 data centers ranks among its top 10 water users, with apartment complexes and hospitals using more.

Still, Chan emphasized that drought restrictions are meant to be shared broadly rather than imposed only on residents.

That can mean limits on lawn watering, pool filling, and other nonessential uses, while also sharpening broader questions about how communities balance economic growth against finite natural resources.

What's being done?

Virginia's drought-response framework has three stages: watch, warning, and emergency.

Under the system described by Virginia Mercury, a drought watch centers on reducing nonessential use and preparing contingency plans. A warning adds voluntary restrictions and pushes utilities to identify leaks and complete needed repairs. During an emergency, limits become mandatory and can carry fines for activities such as irrigation, washing pavement, or filling pools.

As drought conditions worsen, Cloe said the Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing its procedures, including the circumstances under which the agency's director could modify permits.

Counties are already responding in their own ways. The Virginia Mercury reported that Fairfax County follows regional guidance requiring all customers to reduce use during mandatory orders, while Henrico applies the same rules across customer classes.

The Western Virginia Water Authority is also weighing policy changes before a planned Google data center begins drawing water. The Virginia Mercury reported that the facility is expected to start taking water in 2028 and is authorized to use up to 8 million gallons per day.

Local drought alerts can limit nonessential water use and prompt leak repairs, steps intended to help protect shared supplies during periods of intense strain.

"We do ask everybody to be a part of the mandatory restrictions … to preserve the flow in the James River," Chan added.

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