SRBC and Sen. Culver outline water demand tied to proposed data centers in Pennsylvania district
Pennsylvania's 27th Senatorial District hosted a virtual information session on the significant water demand of data centers, organized by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and State Senator Lynda Schlegel Culver. SRBC Executive Director Andrew Dehoff highlighted the impact on water resources, including consumption for cooling and altered natural features. The SRBC regulates water withdrawals and promotes water conservation technologies for data center development.
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and Pennsylvania State Senator Lynda Schlegel Culver hosted a virtual information session for residents of the 27th Senatorial District regarding the increasing water demand posed by data centers. Executive Director of the SRBC, Andrew Dehoff, emphasized the critical impact data center development has on water resources, noting how construction can disturb natural features like creeks and wetlands, increase impermeable surfaces, and reduce groundwater absorption.
Dehoff explained that data centers, particularly hyperscale facilities, generate significant heat from high-speed computing and typically rely on water-based cooling methods. This cooling process consumes millions of gallons of water per day, as the water evaporates and is not returned to local resources, potentially straining water supplies. The SRBC's authority includes regulating withdrawals, monitoring consumptive use, and encouraging developers to implement dry, hybrid, or other water-saving cooling technologies. Dehoff stressed that proper siting and cooling methods are key considerations for data center development and management, with SRBC resolutions aimed at ensuring water conservation is integral to design conversations.
The discussion also briefly touched upon a national context, mentioning President Trump's executive order to expedite AI data center construction across the country through fast-tracked permitting and financial incentives. In Northeast Pennsylvania, proposed AI data centers continue to face public opposition.