Roanoke water company addresses Google data center water usage concerns - WDBJ7

What the report says

WDBJ7 reports that the Western Virginia Water Authority has responded to public questions about how much water a planned Google data center in Botetourt County could use. The Roanoke-area authority said concerns have included references to much larger volumes than are contained in its approved agreement with Google.

According to the statement cited by WDBJ7, the authority said a 2024 proposal to supply the project with 10 million to 11 million gallons per day was rejected. The authority said the only binding water supply deal is the Utility Service Agreement posted on its website, approved by its board on September 10, 2025, and fully executed on October 14, 2025. That agreement allows an initial supply of up to 2 million gallons per day for the data center.

The authority said it reviews major service requests through engineering studies that consider supply, treatment capacity, drought resilience and effects on current customers. It said it now treats about 21 million gallons per day and has previously treated up to 23 million gallons per day. The agency said its priority remains reliable service for existing customers and that it believes it can meet both current customer needs and Google’s initial allocation.

WDBJ7 also reported that the agreement allows Google to seek a future increase to a total of 8 million gallons per day, but only if the authority determines it can support demand across its broader service area. The issue matters because data centers can raise local concerns about infrastructure capacity, utility planning and long-term water availability.