Oklahoma forecast warns water demand will rise over next 50 years amid data center growth
Oklahoma's statewide water demand is projected to increase by 13% by 2075, primarily driven by agriculture and public supply. However, the forecast notably omits the impact of large, hyperscale data centers, which critics argue is a significant oversight given the state's efforts to attract such facilities. A professor noted a potential Oklahoma City data center could draw 5 million gallons of water daily, equivalent to 5% of the city's total delivery.
A new statewide forecast from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board projects a 13% increase in Oklahoma's total water demand by 2075, rising from 1.96 million acre-feet per year in 2020 to 2.22 million acre-feet. The report identifies agriculture as the largest water user, with crop irrigation expected to increase by 14%, and public supply demand projected to rise by 18% due to population growth.
However, the forecast has drawn criticism for explicitly omitting future water demand from large, hyperscale data centers. Matt Cogburn of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board stated that projections did not account for these facilities due to a lack of reliable information on their water use, despite 20 industries holding 23 industrial water use permits being included in the forecast's industrial sector (with data protected for privacy).
Travis Roach, an economics professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, called the omission an "egregious error" or purposeful, highlighting that information about tax benefits for data centers entering the state was already public. He emphasized the critical importance of including data center demand in a comprehensive water plan, citing an example in Oklahoma City where a proposed data project could require 5 million gallons of water per day, representing 5% of the city's total daily water delivery.