Oklahoma water demand forecast rises 13% by 2075 but omits data center impact
Oklahoma's statewide water demand forecast for 2075 projects a 13% increase but notably excludes the impact of large data centers. This omission is criticized by experts, highlighting the significant water demands of such facilities, including a project under consideration in Oklahoma City.
A new report from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board projects a 13% increase in statewide water demand by 2075, rising from 1.96 million acre-feet per year in 2020 to 2.22 million acre-feet. While the forecast details increases across various sectors like agriculture and public supply, it controversially omits the future water demand from hyperscale data centers.
Matt Cogburn of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board stated that the projections did not account for these large data centers, citing a lack of reliable information to estimate their water use. The report noted that while 20 industries holding 23 industrial water use permits provided data, this specific data was not included to protect privacy.
Travis Roach, an economics professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, heavily criticized this omission, calling it an "egregious error" or purposeful, emphasizing that data center demand should be included in a state's comprehensive water plan. He highlighted that Oklahoma City is currently considering a data center project that could require 5 million gallons per day, which is about 5% of the city's total daily water delivery, equivalent to the usage of 75,000 people. Concerns were raised about whether communities are adequately planning for such future demands.