We. Deserve. Better.

Clean water isn’t partisan,

it’s a necessity.

Most of our water, sewer, and road infrastructure was built between the 1930s and 1970s. It is long past its life expectancy. West Virginia needs an estimated $13.9–$18 billion just to repair crumbling water and sewer systems.

“High impact” data centers like the one being proposed in Tucker County could draw millions of gallons of water each day to cool their servers, straining already fragile systems, concentrating pollutants, and stressing trout streams.

We have a responsibility to shield our watershed from pollutants, data center grabs, and eminent domain abuse, especially after HB4983 removed local home rule.

For many West Virginians, water is an everyday crisis.

An estimated 64,000 households have no access to public water.
There were more than 3,200 boil water advisories last year alone.
Over 4,000 miles of waterways are contaminated by mining runoff, sewage overflows, and industrial discharge.
Thirty-six of West Virginia’s 55 counties rank in the worst third nationally for water pollution, according to NRDC analysis.

Tourism in our river communities—rafting, fishing, camping—would suffer as warmer, depleted flows kill aquatic life and push visitors away.

In rural Virginia, we’ve already seen the consequences of unchecked data center expansion: wells drawn down or dried up, farmers losing irrigation, and utility rates climbing as much as 200 percent.

Clean water is essential, for our health, for our families, and for our tourism economy. It simply does not make sense that in a state already burdened with serious water challenges, our congressional delegation would cheer safety rollbacks and our legislature would remove guardrails for development and integration into our communities.

Data Center & Water Protection
Policy Priorities

End Eminent Domain Abuse. Amend 49 U.S.C. §14501(c) to prevent data centers from using utility-style takings. Tie federal tax incentives to a strict public-use standard and require local referendums to protect landowners.

Strengthen Environmental Review (NEPA).
Require full Environmental Impact Statements for any data center seeking eminent domain authority. These reviews must include cumulative watershed impact assessments and air pollution analysis, including long-term consequences.

Protect Superfund Dollars. Block Congresswoman Miller’s H.R. 640 and preserve $1.2 billion in Superfund revenue dedicated to cleaning up PFAS and contamination at sites like Fairmont Brine.

Hold Polluters Accountable for PFAS.
Sponsor legislation conditioning Appalachian Regional Commission grants and federal tax incentives on groundwater monitoring, safe blowdown treatment, and enforceable PFAS liability standards.

Fully Fund West Virginia’s Water Infrastructure.
Extend and expand funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Water Resources Development Act, and Community Project Funding. West Virginia faces a $14–18 billion water repair backlog. Priorities include:
- Replacing aging pipelines.
- Addressing PFAS “forever chemicals.”
- Eliminating lead contamination in communities like Weirton.
- Assisting the hardest-hit southern counties, including Wyoming and McDowell, which rank among the worst in the nation for water violations.

Set National Water Efficiency Standards for Data Centers. Co-sponsor legislation requiring Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) below 0.2 liters per kilowatt-hour for facilities over 50 megawatts, mandating zero-evaporative cooling and the use of recycled water.