Data center developer gifting water well to City of Temple
Rowan, a data center developer, initially funded a multi-million dollar water well project for its first Temple data center. Due to advances in cooling technology, Rowan's plans changed, and its facilities will now use significantly less water. Rowan is now gifting the completed well to the City of Temple, saving taxpayers money and providing an asset the city can use.
The City of Temple initiated plans for an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) system between 2019 and 2020, driven by the anticipated water demands of Rowan's initial data center in the city. This facility was expected to require over 77 million gallons of water annually. The city had considered a $30 million project to extend its water system to Rowan's property, but this would not have been completed until 2029.
To expedite water access, Rowan, the data center developer, funded the drilling of a multi-million dollar well on city land in 2023, following approval from the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District. However, Rowan's plans underwent a significant shift due to rapid advancements in cooling technologies. The first data center site on Bob White Road is now functioning as a warehouse, and the well is no longer needed for its original purpose. Furthermore, Rowan's five other data center projects currently in development in Temple are projected to collectively use less than 8 million gallons of water per year because of these technological improvements.
As a result of these changes, Rowan decided to transfer ownership of the completed well to the City of Temple at no cost. Rowan clarified that neither this well nor any of the city's planned ASR systems will be utilized by the company. The developer also dispelled rumors linking its operations to an ASR pilot project on Fort Hood, which recently received a state grant, as confirmed by Bell County commissioners, to safeguard the post from potential water shortages.