Water may be one of the most emotional parts of the data center conversation, especially in Texas.
 
That is understandable. Water is not an abstract issue for communities. It affects homes, businesses, landscaping, infrastructure, emergency planning, development capacity, and long-term quality of life.
 
It is also one of the areas where data centers are often discussed in overly simple terms.
 
Some people hear “data center” and assume every facility uses enormous amounts of water. Others point to newer cooling technologies and say water is no longer a concern. Neither statement tells the whole story.
 
The truth is that water use varies significantly from one data center to another. It depends on the type of facility, the size of the project, the cooling system, the local climate, the density of the computing equipment, the source of water, and the operator’s design choices.
 
That is why communities should not rely on broad assumptions. They should ask specific questions.
 
For Metrocrest and North Texas, the right approach is not panic and not dismissal. It is practical, informed, and focused on responsible growth.
 
Why data centers need cooling
 
Data centers house servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and other technology that operate around the clock. That equipment produces heat. If the heat is not managed properly, systems can fail, equipment can be damaged, and critical digital services can be interrupted.
 
Cooling is not optional. It is part of the basic infrastructure needed to keep a data center reliable.
 
The question is how that cooling is handled.
 
Some facilities use more traditional air-based systems. Some use evaporative cooling. Some use chilled-water or closed-loop systems. Some are moving toward liquid cooling or immersion cooling, especially as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing increase the amount of power and heat inside server racks.
 
Each approach has tradeoffs.
 
Some cooling systems may use less water but more electricity. Others may use more water but reduce power demand during hot weather. Some systems recycle or recirculate water. Others rely on outside air, mechanical cooling, or newer liquid-based designs. Some facilities may use potable water, while others may use reclaimed or non-potable water where available.
 
That is why the details matter.
 
Water use can vary widely
 
Data centers can use significant amounts of water, particularly when they rely on evaporative cooling or when they operate at very large scale.
 
The World Resources Institute has reported that mid-sized data centers can use up to 300,000 gallons of water per day, while large facilities can consume as much as 5 million gallons daily. WRI also notes that some operators are using cooling approaches that reduce water demand, such as air cooling, liquid immersion, and reclaimed wastewater.
 
Those numbers are important, but they should be read carefully.
 
They do not mean every data center uses that much water. They mean some facilities can, depending on size, design, climate, cooling technology, and operating model.
 
This distinction is critical for public conversations. A community should not assume all data centers have the same water impact. It should ask what kind of facility is being proposed, how it will be cooled, how much water it will use during normal operations, how much water it will need during peak summer conditions, and what happens during drought or water restrictions.
 
Carrollton shows why project-specific details matter
 
Metrocrest already has a useful local example.
 
CyrusOne’s DFW1 facility in Carrollton is described by the company as the largest data center facility in Texas, with 600,000 square feet of technical IT space and 90 megawatts of total IT capacity. CyrusOne says the facility features zero-water-consumption cooling, minimal water use for humidification and facility maintenance, and Net Positive Water certification.
 
That does not mean every data center in every community will have the same profile. It does show why communities should look at actual project design instead of relying on generic assumptions.
 
A data center using a low-water or water-free cooling approach will have a different local water impact than a facility relying heavily on evaporative cooling. A facility using reclaimed water will have a different impact than one using potable water. A smaller enterprise or colocation facility will have a different profile than a large hyperscale campus built for artificial intelligence workloads.
 
The community question should always be specific: What is being built, how will it be cooled, where will the water come from, how much will be used, and what protections will be in place?
 
Cooling technology is changing
 
The data center industry is changing quickly because the computing demands are changing quickly.
 
Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance computing can require more power-dense equipment. More power in a smaller space generally means more heat. That heat has to be managed safely and efficiently.
 
This is one reason liquid cooling is receiving more attention.
 
Liquid cooling can move heat away from equipment more efficiently than traditional air-based systems in high-density environments. Some systems use liquid flowing through cold plates near computer chips. Others use immersion cooling, where equipment is placed in a specialized non-conductive liquid. Some systems are closed-loop, meaning the liquid recirculates rather than being continuously consumed.
 
These technologies can help reduce water demand in some situations, but they are not magic. They still require careful design, energy planning, maintenance, safety practices, and site-specific evaluation.
 
The same is true for reclaimed water. Using reclaimed or non-potable water can reduce pressure on drinking-water supplies, but it depends on whether that water is available, whether infrastructure exists to deliver it, how it is treated, and whether the supply is reliable during peak demand.
 
Again, the point is not to label one technology as always good or always bad. The point is to ask the right questions before a project is approved.
 
Water and electricity are connected
 
Water and electricity should not be discussed as completely separate issues.
 
Cooling choices can affect both.
 
A system that uses less water may use more electricity, especially during hot weather. A system that uses evaporative cooling may reduce some electricity demand but require more water. A facility that draws substantial electricity from power plants may also have indirect water impacts, depending on how that electricity is generated.
 
That makes planning more complicated.
 
For local communities, the most important takeaway is that water planning, power planning, and land-use planning should happen together. A data center proposal should not be evaluated only as a building. It should be evaluated as an infrastructure project.
 
That means communities should understand the full picture: water demand, power demand, wastewater impact, backup systems, peak summer operations, drought conditions, and the cost of any public infrastructure needed to serve the project.
 
Public concern is not unreasonable
 
Residents are not wrong to ask questions about water.
 
The National League of Cities has noted that local governments are balancing the potential positives of data center development, including tax revenue and temporary construction jobs, with concerns about increased water and energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, grid strain, and ratepayer impacts. NLC has also noted that local governments are considering zoning ordinances, water-use ordinances, regional coordination, and public education to help manage these issues.
 
That is exactly the kind of conversation communities should be having.
 
A strong economic development strategy does not ignore concerns. It addresses them early, clearly, and with facts.
 
In some places, data centers may be a good fit. In others, water availability, infrastructure limitations, site constraints, or utility costs may make a project less appropriate. Even within the same region, one project may be responsible and another may not be.
 
That is why local control and transparency matter.
 
What communities should ask
 
Before supporting a major data center project, local leaders and residents should ask practical questions about water and cooling.
 
What type of cooling system will the facility use?
 
How much water will the facility use during normal operations?
 
How much water will it use during peak summer conditions?
 
Will the facility use potable water, reclaimed water, non-potable water, or a combination?
 
Will water be consumed, recirculated, discharged, or reused?
 
How will drought restrictions affect the facility?
 
Will the facility be required to reduce water use during drought or emergency conditions?
 
What public infrastructure is needed to serve the project?
 
Who pays for any water, wastewater, or utility upgrades?
 
Will the operator provide ongoing water-use reporting?
 
Are there enforceable limits or performance standards?
 
How will the project affect nearby residents and businesses?
 
These questions are not anti-growth. They are responsible growth.
 
Local policy can help
 
Cities have tools to manage water-related concerns.
 
Depending on state law, local authority, utility structure, and project type, those tools may include zoning conditions, development agreements, water-use disclosures, site-plan requirements, drought contingency planning, reclaimed-water requirements where feasible, infrastructure-cost agreements, monitoring, and performance standards.
 
Regional coordination can also matter. Water systems, watersheds, utilities, and infrastructure needs do not always stop at city boundaries. What one community approves can affect another. That is especially true in a fast-growing region like North Texas.
 
For Metrocrest, this reinforces the importance of thinking locally and regionally at the same time.
 
Addison, Carrollton, and Farmers Branch each have their own land-use patterns, redevelopment opportunities, infrastructure assets, and community priorities. But they are also part of a larger North Texas economy where data center growth, power demand, water planning, and transportation infrastructure are increasingly connected.
 
What responsible development should look like
 
Responsible data center development should include a clear water plan.
 
That plan should explain the cooling technology, expected water use, peak demand, water source, drought response, infrastructure needs, and ongoing reporting. It should also make clear who pays for required upgrades and how residents and small businesses are protected from hidden costs.
 
Responsible projects should be transparent about tradeoffs.
 
A low-water cooling system may have energy implications. A reclaimed-water system may require additional infrastructure. A closed-loop or liquid-cooling system may reduce certain impacts but involve different design and maintenance requirements. A large project may offer significant tax-base value but still require careful utility planning.
 
The goal is not perfection. The goal is accountability.
 
Communities should be willing to support projects that are well-sited, well-designed, transparent, and beneficial. They should also be willing to ask hard questions and require enforceable commitments before approving projects that place demands on public resources.
 
The Metrocrest takeaway
 
Water concerns should be taken seriously, but they should also be discussed accurately.
 
Not all data centers use water the same way. Some can use significant amounts. Others use cooling designs that greatly reduce water demand. Some may rely on potable water. Others may use reclaimed water or systems designed to minimize water consumption.
 
The question is not whether data centers are automatically good or bad for water. The question is whether a specific project has a responsible water plan.
 
For Metrocrest and North Texas, that means asking clear questions, expecting transparent answers, protecting residents and small businesses, and making sure infrastructure decisions serve the long-term interests of the community.
 
Responsible growth is not about saying yes to every project. It is about knowing what to ask before saying yes.
 
What’s next
 
In the next post, we will look at electricity and ratepayer protection: why data center power demand matters, how large-load projects can affect utility planning, and what communities can do to protect residents and small businesses while supporting responsible economic growth.