Department of Environmental Quality

Anson County residents remain under a boil water advisory as officials collect and test water samples to ensure system safety. Over 200 pallets of bottled water have been distributed, and multiple agencies, including Charlotte Water and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, are assisting with testing. The advisory could be lifted by Friday if results are favorable.

Local, state, and federal officials held a closed-door meeting to address the leaking Shoosmith Landfill in Chesterfield, which is discharging 50,000 gallons daily of toxic leachate. A criminal investigation into the landfill's out-of-state owners is underway, and $10.6 million in emergency funds has been allocated for cleanup efforts. Residents demand public disclosure of water and soil test results around the site.

Families in Anson County remain without water after a water main break caused widespread outages, with officials estimating a decade for full recovery due to aging infrastructure. State financial aid has been pledged to address a Department of Environmental Quality violation, while county commissioners approved a 9% water rate increase to fund improvements.

Harmful algae blooms in lakes like Lake Wylie and Norman pose risks to swimmers and pets due to drought, extreme heat, and stagnant water. The Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group is addressing lyngbya bacterial algae, which grows in shallow areas. Experts warn to avoid unknown water growths and report blooms to environmental authorities.

The Virginia General Assembly allocated $10.6 million to help contain toxic leachate leaking from the bankrupt Shoosmith Landfill in Chesterfield County. The landfill, which generates 50,000 gallons of toxic wastewater daily, has been discharging leachate into Swift Creek, a waterway connected to the James River, raising concerns about environmental and public health risks.

Virginia legislators approved a $205 billion two-year budget that includes a new energy consumption tax on data centers, aiming to generate up to $600 million annually. The budget funds healthcare, public education, teacher raises, and a retail weed marketplace while addressing groundwater impacts from data centers. The data center tax compromise lacks environmental standards sought by the House and retains a sales tax exemption through 2035.

Virginia, with one-third of the state under extreme drought conditions, has imposed water restrictions on data centers that use large volumes of water for cooling, treating them equally with other commercial, industrial, and residential users. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) manages groundwater permits, and local authorities enforce restrictions based on drought stages, with no special exemptions for data centers. Henrico County's data centers are not among its top water users.

Data centers in Virginia discharge water into municipal systems or natural sources like Northeast Creek and Sedges Creek, raising concerns about potential chemical contamination. Amazon's Lake Anna Tech Park uses evaporative cooling and a membrane system, discharging treated 'non-contact cooling water' during 4% of annual operations. The article highlights gaps in tracking chemicals in data center discharge and the environmental risks of 'forever chemicals.'

May rains provided short-term relief to Virginia's drought conditions, but 80% of the state remains in severe drought. Groundwater levels in 20 of 24 monitoring wells are below the 10th percentile, and sustained rainfall is needed to fully replenish water supplies.

Data centers in Virginia discharge water into municipal wastewater systems or natural sources like Northeast Creek and Sedges Creek. Amazon's Lake Anna Tech Park uses evaporative cooling with non-contact water, which is dechlorinated and pH-balanced before release. Concerns persist about potential 'forever chemicals' in discharge, though treatment standards are in place.