AWS data center to tap local aquifer for water

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is proceeding with its Project Green data center development in New Florence, Montgomery County, Missouri. The facility plans to source water from the deep Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer, drilling wells to depths of 1,500 feet to avoid impacting local private wells.

Initial reports from CDM Smith, an engineering firm, indicate the campus will annually draw 2.9 million gallons for the first phase, with a full 17-building campus potentially using 50 million gallons per year. This usage is comparable to that of a golf course. Scott Kaden, Groundwater Section chief at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), confirmed that such high-yield wells are common across the state for various uses.

The Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer is described as extensive, holding over 23 trillion gallons of groundwater in the region. Currently, only about 8% of the aquifer is in use, and the data center's contribution would increase this by 0.03%. MoDNR projects that by 2060, only 17% of the aquifer's natural refill rate will be used in the data center's region, suggesting sustainable water levels.

While Missouri, as a riparian state, has no specific regulations on water use, landowners cannot negatively affect their neighbors' water access, which would become a civil matter. Water level monitoring in the aquifer shows stable or increasing levels in some areas, though an older well in New Florence indicates a slight decrease. Kaden emphasizes the need to consider multiple monitoring points for an accurate assessment of the vast aquifer.