San Angelo City Council Adopts Data Center Land Use Regulations
The San Angelo City Council unanimously adopted new land use regulations for data centers, addressing noise levels, fencing, building sizes, and residential buffers. These regulations include maximum sound levels, separation requirements, and opaque fencing. Additionally, the council will hold further hearings on water discharge and water-use regulations, which propose closed-loop cooling systems and on-site wastewater discharge.
The San Angelo City Council voted unanimously 6-0 to adopt comprehensive land use regulations for data centers following an initial public hearing on May 5. These new rules address critical aspects such as noise levels, including low-frequency noise limits, and mandate a maximum sound level of 55 dBa at all times.
Key provisions also dictate a 300-foot separation requirement from residential land uses or zoning districts, as well as the installation of opaque fencing adjacent to residential areas. Furthermore, the regulations require data centers to implement rainwater and stormwater capture systems to reduce reliance on potable water for irrigation.
The council is scheduled to hold second hearings on June 2 for separate water discharge and water-use regulations. These proposed rules aim to minimize water consumption through closed-loop water cooling systems and specify on-site wastewater discharge to septic systems, prohibiting flow into the city's sanitary sewer. All discharges will be subject to monitoring for pollutants and industrial pretreatment. Presentations to the council indicated that a hypothetical data center would use about 11.33 million gallons per year, which is less than 1 percent of the city's total annual metered water consumption and significantly less than existing large customers like Goodfellow AFB and the Upper Colorado River Water Authority.