WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Henrico County, VA
Henrico County, VA: Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Henrico County, VA. Every figure below is a stored value with its primary source attached. Facility-scale results are produced by the assessment tool.
Water supply
| Metric | Value | Source / basis |
|---|---|---|
| Water utility | Henrico County DPU | Utility of record |
| Supply source | James River | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 75 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 02080205. Utility: Henrico DPU. |
| Water rate | $5.50 / 1,000 gal | Henrico County DPU published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | Medium (2.6 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 02080205. Utility: Henrico DPU. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Lower James (HUC-8 02080205). Figures are consumptive use, not withdrawal, because evaporative data center loss is consumptive. USGS data year 2020.
| Category | Consumptive use (MGD) | Share of basin |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | 35 | 70.7% |
| Thermoelectric power | 8 | 16.2% |
| Industrial | 4 | 8.1% |
| Irrigation | 2 | 4.0% |
| Mining | 0.5 | 1.0% |
| Existing data centers | 0 | 0.0% |
| Total | 49.5 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Henrico County.
Grid generation water (Scope 2)
Generating the electricity a data center consumes evaporates water at the power plant. That volume is real, it is attributable, and it is excluded from most corporate "water positive" accounting. On a thermal grid it is frequently comparable to the facility's own cooling water.
| Metric | Value | Source / basis |
|---|---|---|
| Grid region | PJM Interconnection | PJM |
| Electric utility | Dominion Energy | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.42 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 × PJM GATS EY2024 |
| Local peak demand | 1,100 MW | PJM |
| Modeled rate impact | 8% to 18% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: PJM Dominion zone generation is distributed across the multi-state grid; Scope 2 water occurs at upstream plants outside the local James basin.
Run this county at your facility size. The assessment tool computes direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) water for a specific load, cooling system, and mitigation stack, with the same citations attached.
Reducing the footprint here
A high stress reading is a design constraint, not a verdict. Closed-loop and dry or hybrid cooling, adiabatic assist, immersion, and reclaimed or non-potable sourcing each move the direct number, and siting against a cleaner grid mix moves the indirect number. The solutions catalog lists each option with its water reduction, its energy and cost tradeoff, and its source.
Regulatory and siting status
Richmond metro emerging market. Henrico aggressively recruiting; Dominion has capacity. Mid-Atlantic alternative to NoVA.
- Hyperscale activity
- Emerging market
Sources: Water: Henrico DPU. Grid: PJM Dominion zone. Incentives: state DC tax exemption + locality grants.
Comparative siting scores for this county, alongside every other county tracked, are on the US Siting Matrix.
Related counties
| County | Water source | Watershed stress |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County, VA | Potomac River / Goose Creek Reservoir | High (3.4/5) |
| Prince William County, VA | Occoquan Reservoir | High (3.4/5) |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | Roanoke River / Buggs Island Lake | Low-Medium (1.8/5) |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | Rappahannock River | Medium (2.4/5) |
| Frederick County, VA | Shenandoah River + Anderson Lake | Low-Medium (2/5) |
How these numbers are derived
Assumptions, formulas, and the full source list are in the methodology. WaterMark is published by Standard Water Corp and is not affiliated with any data center developer, utility, or government agency.