Bonds and UMW Students Author Commentary on Data Center Water Use

Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds, along with UMW students Braderick Hatch and Fiona Steffens, authored a commentary published by Virginia Mercury and Rappahannock News titled “Four Va. counties will pump almost 20 million gallons of water a day to Amazon. Cause for concern?”

The article examines agreements between four Virginia localities and Amazon to supply nearly 20 million gallons of water per day for data center cooling. Drawing on their research, the authors explore the potential impacts on local water resources and encourage greater public awareness of how large-scale data center development may affect communities. H

The UMW students — Hatch, a junior sociology major, and Steffens, a sophomore double-majoring in business administration and economics — collaborated with Bonds on the research. Read the commentary in the Rappahannock News.