Marysville Data Center Water Limits Compared to Residential Use
Amazon's data center in Marysville, Ohio, operates under strict water usage limits set by the city, particularly during summer months. These limits for the data center's cooling water are significantly lower than the water consumed by Marysville residents for lawn and garden irrigation. The city has established substantial penalties for Amazon if the data center exceeds its permitted water consumption.
The Marysville Matters article details the water usage agreement for Amazon Web Services' new data center in Marysville, Ohio's Innovation Park. The City of Marysville has implemented strict limits on the facility's cooling water consumption to protect local water supplies, particularly during peak demand.
The data center is allowed to use up to 194,000 gallons of cooling water per day in the winter, but this limit sharply drops to 50,000 gallons per day between May and September. This summer allowance, while substantial, is a small fraction—approximately 3%—of the nearly 1.6 million gallons Marysville residents collectively use daily for outdoor irrigation, which accounts for 42.1% of the city's total summer water supply.
Amazon faces significant financial penalties, with surcharges up to 50 times the normal rate and a maximum monthly penalty of $583,332.78, if it exceeds its summer water limits. The city also reserves the right to cancel the 10-year contract if the company has three or more "overage incidents" in a single year and fails to rectify the issue. Marysville officials state that these regulations are designed to balance the needs of a major global company with the community's goal of preserving its water resources. The facility is expected to begin water services on May 3, 2027.