By Daniel Gala
Publication Date: 2026-02-10 00:30:00
Officials in Virginia have been exploring legislative options to limit the strain that data centers put on local water supplies, according to WDBJ.
“Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, constituting 13% of all reported data center operational capacity globally and 25% of the capacity in the Americas,” according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which provides information to Virginia state policymakers.
While these data centers provide economic benefits, like well-paying jobs, they take an enormous toll on available resources, including electricity and water.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute found that a single large data center can consume as much as 5 million gallons of water today. That’s the equivalent water use of a town with a population of up to 50,000 people.
Virginia lawmakers have sought to address the water consumption issue through a variety of legislative proposals, WDBJ reported.
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