By Monica Johnson
Publication Date: 2026-03-19 23:27:00
The Western Virginia Water Authority is responding to growing concerns from residents about the region’s water supply as plans move forward for a proposed Google data center in Botetourt County.
At a recent board meeting, locals raised questions about water levels at key sources such as Carvins Cove and Spring Hollow Reservoir, particularly in light of the data center project. According to an agreement between the water authority and Helio Capital, the developer working with Google, the facility could use between 2 million and 8 million gallons of water per day.
Residents also questioned whether a large industrial user like a data center should be subject to the same drought contingency plans and rate structures as typical customers.
Julie Bivins, a Roanoke city resident, voiced concern about the scale of the project’s water use compared with existing demand, noting that the facility could far exceed the consumption of current top users.
“But of course, Google’s not any other…
