The Stafford County Utilities Department will provide the Board of Supervisors with an update on the county’s water reuse system project at a special work session on Wednesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. The project is linked to the construction of an Amazon data center on Old Potomac Church Road, near Stafford Hospital, part of the Potomac Church Tech Center zoning amendment.
Amazon Data Services (AWS) agreed to construct a reclaimed water facility at the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Plant. This facility will support the cooling needs of data centers in areas north of Centreport Parkway. AWS has committed to limiting the occupancy of the second building at the data center until the reuse system is operational, with a scheduled delivery date in the second quarter of 2027. The first building will use potable water until the reuse system is complete.
The update will cover the planning and design guidance for the reuse system, which includes upgrades to the Aquia Wastewater Treatment Facility for Level 1 reclaimed water. This level of treatment is suitable for industrial cooling and worker contact. AWS proposes to construct improvements to enhance water treatment from Level 2 to Level 1, with an estimated cost of $75 million. The county will design these improvements, with AWS providing reimbursement.
The reuse system will feature on-site storage, transmission mains, storage tanks, booster stations, a new Potomac Creek Wastewater Pump Station, and a new Centerport Water Pump Station. The North Reuse System’s design is based on known interests and water availability, with effluent from the Aquia facility serving the system. The project aims to maximize the reuse of water through system storage and building optimization.
Future projects, such as the Stafford Technology Campus, a data center complex eyed south of Old Church Road, will extend the reuse water line from Potomac Church and construct additional storage along the northern boundary of the site. The system will be integrated with current master plan projects, and the developer will handle construction instead of the county.
The update will also address ongoing negotiations with AWS, the water reuse master plan, the reuse pro-rata policy, and future water reuse rates. The reuse system is expected to go into service between 2027 and 2028.
