BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Google’s data center at the Botetourt Center at Greenfield could use up to 8 million gallons of water a day, making it the county’s largest user by far. The Western Virginia Water Authority says service for current customers will not be interrupted.
“Even though we have really good water resources right now, the Carvins Cove Reservoir and the Spring Hollow Reservoir, together they provide more than 9 billion gallons of storage for our area, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next water supply,” said Michael McEvoy, Executive Director of the Western Virginia Water Authority.
McEvoy says Carvins Cove Reservoir, the primary water source for Botetourt County, will serve as the initial source for Google’s new data center. But to prepare for future growth in the area, the Water Authority’s board approved two agreements this week. The first, with Botetourt County, will help fund studies to determine the best option for building a new water source.
“We’re going to look at a number of different ideas including, optimizing our existing sources, looking at a new water supply, and maybe building a new reservoir somewhere,” McEvoy said. “One of the things we’re really excited about is taking treated wastewater from our wastewater treatment plant and providing it to industrial customers like Google.”
McEvoy told 10 News that building a new reservoir can take two decades, which is why the Authority is planning now. The Authority reached a second agreement with Google, requiring the company to pay for its own infrastructure to supply water to the data center, so existing customers do not have to. He also says the project comes with potential benefits for existing customers.
“We are hoping because the data center will be a larger water user, that revenue generated by that will help slow the rate of water rate increases which translates to better rates for our residential customers,” McEvoy said.
The Authority says the first study is expected to be complete next year, with more detailed planning through 2028.