A proposed data center in Delaware could guzzle up to 20 million gallons of water every year, and it's far from the only one planned for the region, reported WHYY News.
What's happening?
Starwood Digital Ventures is seeking to build a 1.2-gigawatt facility called "Project Washington" in Delaware City, located in New Castle County. The site would need between 9.9 million and nearly 20 million gallons of water annually just to cool its servers, based on a Coastal Zone Act application submitted to Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
State regulators in Delaware determined last week that the project falls short of Coastal Zone Act standards. The plans call for 516 generators running on diesel and tanks holding 2.5 million gallons on site.
The tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey has over 50 similar projects in the pipeline. The largest of these facilities can suck through as much as 5 million gallons of potable water daily. Some have already depleted well water for nearby residents.
"If they get sited on larger tributaries versus smaller ones, that could have a large impact on water availability," said Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, the Delaware River Basin Commission's executive director.
Why is the data center boom concerning?
These facilities need enormous amounts of electricity to run their servers and enormous amounts of water to stop those servers from overheating. Most of that cooling water evaporates through large towers on the buildings, leading to water loss.
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The Department of Energy published a 2024 study showing that power needs at these facilities had grown threefold in ten years. Projections suggest it will increase by two to three times again by 2028. That strain on the electrical grid means higher bills for everyday households.
AI is a big driver of this growth. Running AI models takes far more processing capacity than everyday online tasks. AI has the potential to improve clean energy systems, but the computing infrastructure behind it demands steep energy and water resources.
What's being done about data center water use?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed requiring new data centers to supply their own electricity and limit water use. The Delaware River Basin Commission is preparing for large-scale water demands and may require facilities to create backup plans during dry spells.
A team at Villanova University is exploring whether excess heat from data centers can be captured and repurposed for cooling, which could sharply reduce how much water these sites need.
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If you're concerned about a data center planned near you, contact your local and state representatives to push for strong water protections and transparency from developers. Supporting clean energy policies in your community can help the grid keep up with growing demand without putting your water supply or utility bills at risk.
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