Linn County wants a water study. Google might pay for it
Linn County supervisors will discuss an agreement for Google to fund an independent study of regional water resources, demand and future needs. The roughly $242,000 study is connected to Google’s proposed data center campus near Cedar Rapids, although the company’s move toward annexation into Palo previously reduced the county’s jurisdiction.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss a memorandum of understanding under which Google would pay approximately $242,000 for an independent study of countywide and regional water resources. The county would select the researchers, and the agreement would remain in effect through May 1, 2027, although a detailed timeline has not been established.
The study follows Google’s interest in developing a data center campus in unincorporated Linn County. Plans were paused after Google indicated it would pursue annexation of the site into nearby Palo, limiting Linn County’s role, but the proposed agreement could revive the previously paused water-balance study.