City Council bans water-cooled data centers

News ClipThe Daily News of Newburyport·Newburyport, Essex County, MA·10/7/2026

The Newburyport City Council approved a ban on data centers that use water-cooling systems. The measure targets facilities considered heavy consumers of water and other energy resources.

waterenvironmentalgovernment
Gov: Newburyport City Council

The Newburyport City Council approved a local ban Monday on data centers cooled by water, citing concerns about the facilities’ consumption of water and other resources.

The measure was sponsored by at-large Councilor Ben Harman, who said it targets data centers that consume large volumes of water or energy. The article did not identify any specific company or proposed facility affected by the ban.