Amazon Drops Aquifer Water Withdrawal Plan Amid Virginia Community Concerns

Amazon Web Services is backing away from its plan to withdraw up to 6.4 million gallons of water annually from the Potomac aquifer for its King George data center campus in Virginia.

The tech giant had applied to renew a groundwater permit that would have allowed it to use the aquifer's water for non-cooling purposes, such as employee use and grounds management.

However, the application sparked concerns after a Department of Environmental Quality report warned that the aquifer is 'declining in availability' and cannot handle major new permits for water withdrawals.

Sen. Richard Stuart, R-King George, urged the DEQ to deny the permit renewal, saying it would be unfair to prioritize Amazon's needs over those of the local community.

Amazon has since announced that it will seek alternative water sources and is withdrawing its application for the groundwater withdrawal permit.