Google’s Water Demand Tests Roanoke’s Drought Plan

Carvins Cove Reservoir sits dangerously low, amid one of the driest spells in over a century for Roanoke — and even incoming rain won’t fix it. While the Western Virginia Water Authority has enough stored water to last over 500 days, their key reservoirs aren’t tracked in the state’s drought system because they’re smaller and fed differently. Now, with Google planning a massive data center in Botetourt County that could gulp millions of gallons daily, the authority is urgently updating its nearly 20-year-old drought plan — including possibly introducing tiered pricing to incentivize conservation. But with the region still parched, officials are holding off on major changes, focusing instead on stretching every drop while preparing for the future. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/974cee1d2601f4d9