The soul of Botetourt County and its dance with the devil
Three data centers in Botetourt County should concern every resident who cares about our water, our land, and the long-term future of this community.
This is being framed as economic development. In reality, it risks becoming industrialization on a scale our rural infrastructure and natural resources were never designed to support.
Data centers are often described as “clean industry,” but their demands are enormous — particularly when it comes to electricity, land, and water. Unlike traditional employers, they create relatively few permanent jobs while requiring significant long-term utility commitments. Once built, the impacts are permanent.
What makes this situation especially troubling is that key information about water usage and long-term sustainability is still being withheld from the public. The Western Virginia Water Authority recently lost a court case requiring the release of records related to water planning for large-scale industrial users and is now pursuing an appeal to keep those records from being disclosed.
Residents are being asked to trust decisions about water infrastructure without access to the underlying data. That is not transparency — it is the opposite.
Water is not theoretical in Botetourt County. Many families rely on private wells, springs, and groundwater systems connected to the same regional hydrology that supports Carvins Cove, one of the primary drinking-water sources for the Roanoke Valley. Carvins Cove depends on rainfall, tributaries, and groundwater moving through fractured rock formations. Large-scale industrial withdrawals raise legitimate questions about long-term sustainability, particularly during drought conditions.
Botetourt County is not Northern Virginia. We do not have unlimited infrastructure or surplus water capacity. Yet residents are still trying to understand what is being planned while decisions appear to be moving forward.
Citizens should be asking a simple question: Who decided Botetourt County should become a data center corridor?
Before projects of this magnitude move forward, the public deserves full transparency, independent water-impact analysis, and open discussion about long-term infrastructure costs and environmental risks.
If these projects are approved, they will shape Botetourt County for generations — long after current officials have left office.
Citizens who care about this community must speak up now. Attend Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings. Ask direct questions. File FOIA requests. Demand transparency. Do not let the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors sell Botetourt’s soul to Satan in the name of short-term economic promises.
Local government works best when the public is informed and engaged early.
Botetourt County’s future should not be decided quietly.
This county’s SOUL is NOT for sale. We need to stop these data centers from being built NOW, before it’s too late.
Chad Bean
Botetourt County Resident
Build a water loop for long-term water supply
An inexhaustible water supply is the best water supply plan for Botetourt County.
For decades the Roanoke Valley has been looking for long-term options for water supply.
In 2003, a Long-Range Water Supply System Study was done for the Roanoke Valley- Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC). The engineering firm was Black & Veatch.
The study concluded that for a long-range water supply: “To serve the projected water supply deficits for all of the participating jurisdictions, augmentation of Carvins Cove with raw water from Smith Mountain Lake is the least expensive option…”.
The study concluded, “Due to anticipated…concerns of existing water suppliers using the James River as a source, the Smith Mountain Lake option appears to be the most easily implemented at the least cost.”
The water loop option creates a complete cycle of water use, so that any water used eventually returns to be used again. More specifically, a pipeline from Smith Mountain Lake could be used to refill Carvins Cove when low with an endless supply of clean, reliable, and reusable water.
And since there would be no net loss of water to the lake, the water loop option doesn’t affect Smith Mountain Lake at all.
It is time to consider all alternatives, and to prioritize those that are long-term, innovative, environmentally sound and economically sensible.
Look at the RVARC study. If you need a copy, just ask, Riverdancer1943@gmail.com.
Bill Tanger, Roanoke
Chair, FORVA
(Friends of the Rivers of Virginia)
Attic’s youth play ‘will warm your heart’
The new play “Tales From The Brothers Grimm” at Attic Productions will warm your heart and put a smile on your face. It is one of our favorites. The cast of talented youth make the five stories fun, entertaining and provide a moral lesson. The sets are creative and beautiful. Talented musicians and sound effects are intentional and perfect.
Show times at Attic Productions are Thursday, Feb. 12, and Friday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 p.m.
All of their shows are family friendly and done by volunteers. The theatre is handicapped accessible and there are desserts. Tickets can be purchased online, www.our.show/atticproductions, at the door, or call 540-473-1001.
Ann Layman
Daleville
