Council votes down amendments on data center water usage rules
The Marshalltown City Council rejected amendments that would have required closed-loop cooling or imposed strict limits on adiabatic cooling for proposed data centers. The council also sent a size-classification proposal back to the Planning and Zoning Commission, delaying the first reading of the broader data center ordinance until Nov. 9.
Marshalltown City Council members debated proposed data center regulations amid strong public concern about water use, cooling systems, noise and the potential impact on local infrastructure. Councilor Marco Yepez-Gomez’s proposal to classify facilities by size and limit hyperscale projects to an overlay district was sent back to the Planning and Zoning Commission in a 4-3 vote, delaying the ordinance’s first reading. A separate amendment requiring closed-loop cooling failed 4-3, as did a proposal by Councilor Jeff Schneider to allow limited adiabatic cooling under strict gallon, hour and temperature caps.
Public commenters criticized the city for allowing Amir Atefi of Swarm Systems, the company behind a proposed data center in the Edgewood Industrial Park, to influence the adiabatic-cooling language. Atefi said the project would use grid power from Alliant, a closed-loop primary cooling system and limited adiabatic assistance to reduce fan noise and peak electricity demand. The council is expected to revisit the ordinance after further Planning and Zoning Commission review.