Amazon clears key water hurdle for nearly 3,000-acre data center near Houston
Amazon received groundwater permits for portions of its proposed nearly 3,000-acre, $10 billion data center campus near Boling in Wharton County. Residents opposed the permits over potential impacts to local wells, while the project continues to face major questions about its future surface-water and electricity needs.
Amazon’s proposed data center campus near Boling in Wharton County cleared a regulatory hurdle when the Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation District approved permits for groundwater use during construction and for office facilities and fire protection. The permits authorize withdrawals from several wells, although Amazon says its actual use will be substantially lower than the permitted ceiling and that it will not use groundwater to cool the data centers.
Local residents, including Mike Johnson, Kandi Clark and David Rodriguez, opposed the permits, citing concerns about nearby drinking-water wells, quality of life and potential environmental effects. Administrative Judge Stephen B. Ables recommended approval after finding that the withdrawals would cause negligible drawdown of the Chicot Aquifer and would not harm local groundwater availability or quality.
The campus is expected to include 13 data center buildings and could eventually require about 500 acre-feet of surface water annually for cooling, although Amazon has not yet applied for those permits. Its electricity demand could reach roughly 780 megawatts, with ERCOT reviewing the project’s plans and CenterPoint serving the site. The project also remains subject to broader state scrutiny after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to pause data center permits while agencies conduct audits.