Groundwater Ordinance: Safeguard or Overreach?

Water H2O – The second most life-supporting natural resource on the planet, provided by God.

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail fall from the sky. A natural resource that cannot be replicated and is constantly regulated and controlled by man. Is it for the welfare and health of the community, or to increase the government’s coffers, or to prohibit unwanted businesses like Data Centers?

A proposed ordinance to regulate groundwater would require industrial businesses to obtain their water supply from the Town of Front Royal if they exceed the maximum groundwater usage.

Of course, the town would decide to extend water lines if well water restrictions are in place.  Excessive water use from deep water wells or public water supply still affects the amount of water available.

The City of Winchester pumps water from the North Fork of the Shenandoah River and holds a permit for 10 million gallons per day.  Will future water requirements increase due to the widespread development in Frederick County?

Given the essential role of water as a vital resource for sustaining life, it is concerning that contamination of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River by Christendom College has received little attention.

Should the ordinance be enacted, what safeguards will be implemented to deter prohibited actions?

Furthermore, under extreme conditions, will authorities have the capacity to check and impose penalties for excessive water consumption, e.g., by farmers who need to water cattle using well water?

How will this proposed ordinance affect economic development in the Rt 340 -522 corridor?

What is more important? The regulation of industrial well water usage with lawful consequences, Warren County giving water rights to other communities, or Warren County ensuring that the willful pollution of the Shenandoah River is recognized, penalized, and resolved?

An ordinance consisting of fourteen pages has been proposed to regulate industrial groundwater usage and at what cost. If it is approved and incorporated into the Warren County Code, it remains to be determined whether waivers of specific conditions will be allowed, as is the case with various existing codes and regulations that the BOS has allowed.

John Jenkins
Warren County, VA

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