Data Center Water Tracker Update: September 30, 2026

The Data Center Water Tracker now carries 202 measures across federal, state, local and interstate levels (33 federal, 90 state, 76 local, 3 interstate), 82 of them enacted, alongside 163 published data center water figures covering all fifty states. Every entry links to its primary source.

New this period (23)

• Sioux County, Iowa, Amendment to County Ordinance No. 1: Closed-loop cooling required and private wells barred for cooling. First reading approved, Sep 29, 2026. Would require data centers in unincorporated areas to use closed-loop water cooling, bar them from using private wells for cooling, and limit them to 25 megawatts. Source
• Saginaw, Michigan, Data center zoning ordinance: Special land use rules with water use reporting. Adopted, Sep 28, 2026. Makes data centers a special land use in the light and general industrial districts, subject to Planning Commission approval, and requires developers to submit reports on water use, energy demand, noise and other impacts. Source
• Pulaski County, Arkansas, Data center permitting ordinance: Permit rules covering water use, vetoed by the county judge. Vetoed, Sep 25, 2026. Would have required large data centers to obtain a county permit by submitting detailed information addressing noise, emergency response, traffic, water use and power demand, with a new review for any substantial expansion. Source
• Pennsylvania, SB 1459: Independent water study before a data center application. Referred to committee, Sep 24, 2026. Would require anyone proposing a data center to give the host municipality a water analysis prepared by an independent, state-recognized third party at least 30 days before a formal development application, covering anticipated water use, water quality and supply sustainability within 20 miles, and counting both on-site water and the water embedded in the site’s electricity demand. The study must be publicly available on request. Source
• Pennsylvania, SB 1470: Closed-loop, reclaimed or recycled water for data center cooling. Referred to committee, Sep 24, 2026. Would require data centers using more than 100,000 gallons of water a year to use closed-loop cooling, reclaimed water, recycled water or another method the Department of Environmental Protection approves, under a compliance plan the department rules on within 30 days. Where none is feasible, the operator must file projected withdrawals, discharges and consumptive use and pay a large water user mitigation charge covering all costs of serving it. Source
• Texas, Attorney General investigation: Investigation of data centers that skipped the TWDB water use survey. Investigation launched, Sep 24, 2026. The Office of the Attorney General is investigating Texas data center developments that have not responded to the Texas Water Development Board’s water use survey, which state law requires, and demands full survey responses from every data center in the state. Source
• Chicago, Illinois, Energy Benchmarking Ordinance amendment: Data centers brought into the city’s benchmarking ordinance. Passed, Sep 23, 2026. Removes the data center exemption from the city’s Energy Benchmarking Ordinance; the change is intended to provide transparency on data centers’ energy efficiency and water usage. Source
• North Port, Florida, Data center moratorium ordinance: An 18-month pause while the city writes rules on water demand. Adopted, Sep 22, 2026. Stops acceptance and approval of data center applications for 18 months and directs staff to study the issue and prepare new rules, because the land development code does not address the water demand, infrastructure capacity and environmental impact of large data center projects. Source
• Pima County, Arizona, Resolution No. 2026-56: A 120-day pause on new data center permits. Adopted as amended, Sep 22, 2026. Pauses permits for new data centers that have not yet applied for site improvement or building permits for 120 days while the zoning code is updated; the Board may waive the pause after a hearing on a project’s long-term effects, including on air quality and electric and water quality. Source
• Tulare County, California, Interim data center moratorium extension: Pause on new data centers extended ten months. Extended, Sep 22, 2026. Extends the moratorium on new data center development in unincorporated Tulare County for another 10 months while the county drafts zoning rules. Source
• Oakland, California, Interim urgency ordinance (File 27-0050): A 45-day urgency moratorium on data center entitlements. Committee approved, Sep 22, 2026. Would bar approval of any land use entitlement or agreement to develop or operate a data center for 45 days, extendable under state law. Source
• Baltimore County, Maryland, Bill 79-26: Data center permit pause extended through 2027. Passed County Council 7-0, Sep 22, 2026. Extends to Dec 31, 2027 the Bill 3-26 suspension of data center permits, development plan approvals and zoning petitions; Bill 3-26 requires a Planning Board report comparing the average electricity and public water usage of data centers with other uses. Source
• Galesburg, Illinois, Item 26-1018: A 180-day data center permit moratorium. Adopted, Sep 21, 2026. Bars accepting new data center permit applications and issuing permits through Apr 3, 2027, while the city evaluates the infrastructure, environmental, energy and water demands of data centers and drafts regulations. Source
• Calexico, California, Zoning code amendment prohibiting data centers: A citywide ban on data centers. Adopted, Sep 16, 2026. Amends the zoning regulations to prohibit data centers within city limits. Source
• Kirksville, Missouri, Chapter 44 zoning code amendments: Closed-loop cooling only, and no well or surface water. Recommended by Planning and Zoning, Sep 16, 2026. Would permit only closed-loop or comparably water-efficient cooling for data centers and bar water from on-site wells or any surface source, among siting, generator and noise standards. Source
• Boston, Massachusetts, Council order to amend the zoning code: Data centers as a prohibited use in every zoning district. Filed, referred to committee, Sep 16, 2026. Would define data centers in the zoning code and make them a prohibited use in every zoning district and subdistrict. Source
• Marion County, Florida, Large commercial data center moratorium ordinance: A 12-month pause with a study of aquifer withdrawals and springs. Adopted, Sep 15, 2026. Pauses new commercial data centers expected to use 50 megawatts or more at peak demand for 12 months, and directs staff to study Floridan Aquifer withdrawals, water and wastewater capacity, Outstanding Florida Springs and springsheds, and cooling practices. Source
• Memphis, Tennessee, Ordinance No. 5982: A temporary moratorium with a study of water consumption and cooling. Final vote set for Oct 6, Sep 15, 2026. Would stop processing zoning, land use, building and other permits for new data centers during the moratorium, while a study committee that includes Memphis Light, Gas and Water evaluates water consumption, cooling technologies and conservation measures among other effects. Source
• Memphis, Tennessee, Ordinance No. 5986: Closed-loop cooling and no major local withdrawals for cooling. Pending second reading, Sep 15, 2026. Would require all new data centers to use closed-loop cooling, prohibit once-through and routine evaporative cooling, bar withdrawals of local water for routine cooling where they amount to a Major Water Withdrawal, and bar new private wells built mainly to supply cooling. Source
• Memphis, Tennessee, Ordinance No. 5985: Tiered review with no potable water for routine cooling. Pending second reading, Sep 15, 2026. Would bar potable water for routine heat rejection or evaporative cooling at larger facilities after a commissioning period of up to 90 days, require separate meters for potable, nonpotable, reclaimed and process water, and restrict new direct withdrawals from the Memphis Sand aquifer for routine cooling. Source
• Colleton County, South Carolina, Digital Infrastructure Overlay ordinances: Closed-loop or air cooling required in a new data center overlay. Adopted, Sep 14, 2026. Creates a Digital Infrastructure Overlay district for data centers and requires data centers in it to use closed-loop water or air-cooled cooling systems. Source
• Gilroy, California, Interim urgency ordinance (45-day moratorium): A 45-day pause on new data center applications. Adopted, Sep 14, 2026. The city may not accept, process or approve applications and entitlements for new data centers for 45 days while it writes zoning, siting, development and operational standards; the Council may extend it in two phases up to two years. Source
• Fairfield County, South Carolina, 12-month data center moratorium: A one-year pause to assess power, water and road capacity. Adopted, Sep 14, 2026. Pauses new data center development for 12 months while the county assesses effects on power, water and road infrastructure and updates its Land Management Ordinance. Source

Newly located from earlier periods (4)

Added to the tracker this week, adopted or introduced earlier. These are not this week’s activity.

• Fort Worth, Texas, Installation Policy and Design Criteria for Water, Wastewater and Reclaimed Water: Closed-loop cooling required for new data centers on city water. Adopted, Aug 11, 2026. Source
• Ohio, NPDES General Permit OHD000001: Statewide discharge permit for data centers, withdrawn. Withdrawn, Jul 21, 2026. Source
• United States, H.R. 9019: Public Oversight of Water and Energy Reporting Act. Proposed, May 22, 2026. Source
• Minnesota, Laws 2025, 1st Spec. Sess. ch. 12, secs. 3 and 4: DNR review and permit conditions for data centers over 100 million gallons a year. Enacted, Jun 14, 2025. Source

Status changes (5)

• Iowa, HF 2447: Proposed to Renumbered as HF 2690. Source
• Wisconsin, Draft moratorium package: Proposed to Failed (introduced as SB 1061). Source
• Perryville, Missouri, Data center ordinance, third revision: Proposed to Adopted as Ordinance No. 6894. Source
• Woodbury, Minnesota, Draft interim ordinance: Proposed to Adopted. Source
• Columbus, Ohio, Proposed rate ordinance: Proposed to Passed by City Council. Source

New published water figures (16, in 10 states)

Each figure carries its own basis, period, scope and source. Figures on different bases are never compared or summed, and a permit limit, allowance or projection is listed as evidence rather than drawn as a measured bar.

• AZ: 981 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Phoenix location. Source
• GA: 19 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Atlanta location. Source
• IA: 264 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Des Moines location. Source
• IA: 68.5 million gal (Use, 2024). Named facilities: Microsoft’s five West Des Moines data center campuses. Source
• IA: up to 5 million gal/day (Use, contracted municipal supply allowance, Agreement in force as of May 2025). Named facilities: Microsoft’s West Des Moines data center campuses. Source
• IL: 204 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Chicago location. Source
• OR: 112 million gal (Use, 2025). City aggregate: Hillsboro Water’s data center customer class. Source
• TN: 24 million gal (March 2026); more than 18 million gal in each month from December through March (Use, Monthly bills, reported May 2026). Named facility: SpaceXAI (xAI Colossus), Memphis. Source
• TN: ~794,000 gal/day (about 62% of a 1.28 million gal/day allowance) (Use, 2026 (current use as of late September)). Named facility: SpaceXAI (xAI Colossus), Memphis. Source
• TN: up to 3.7 million gal/day requested (Use, requested allocation, 2026 request). Named facilities: xAI’s original Memphis data center and its second site. Source
• TX: 420 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, San Antonio location. Source
• TX: nearly 29 million gal (12 evaporatively cooled facilities); nearly 8 million gal (45 non-evaporatively cooled facilities) (Use, self-reported in a voluntary survey, 2025). Partial-industry aggregate: 57 of 155 respondents to the voluntary TWDB and PUC survey. Source
• VA: 239 (Ashburn) + 362 (Boydton) + 11 (Manassas) ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Ashburn, Boydton and Manassas locations. Source
• VA: 2.6 mgd average day potable (8.0 mgd maximum day), plus 2.0 mgd reclaimed (Use, 2025). Utility aggregate: 206 data centers in Loudoun Water’s Central Service Area. Source
• WA: 1,292 (Quincy) + 51 (East Wenatchee) ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Quincy and East Wenatchee locations. Source
• WY: 188 ML (Withdrawal, FY2025 (Jul 2024 to Jun 2025)). Named facilities: Microsoft-owned data centers, Cheyenne location. Source

States gaining a measured aggregate: OR

A state draws a bar only when a statewide or regional measured aggregate covering a stated period has been published for it.

The standing position

• 9 states have a published statewide or regional measured aggregate and draw a bar: AZ, CA, NE, NV, OH, OR, TX, VA, WY.
• 22 states have published figures at facility or instrument level only, with no state total.
• 19 states have no measured data center water volume published by anyone.

That ratio is the tracker’s central finding. The disclosure bills it follows exist because this figure is, almost everywhere, not collected.

The full tracker, with every state’s file, the federal accordion, and all sources, is at savrn.com/data-center-water-tracker. All citations are on the sources page.