After SC data center's projected water use ballooned to 1.4M gallons, it took months to tell public
Valara, a data center subsidiary of NorthMark in Spartanburg, South Carolina, initially reported a significantly lower water usage estimate of 459,400 gallons per day to Spartanburg Water. However, updated projections revealed the data center would require between 1.4 million and 1.6 million gallons daily, a figure that took seven months to be publicly corrected by NorthMark. Despite the dramatic increase, Spartanburg Water assured that the local infrastructure can handle the updated demand.
Valara, a data center company under NorthMark, initially submitted a wastewater permit survey in January 2026 to Spartanburg Water, indicating a projected daily water use of 459,400 gallons, with a peak of 581,800 gallons for its cooling tower. This figure, signed by Valara Executive Vice President Mark Johnson, formed the basis for Spartanburg Water's initial evaluations and communications, including reports to the Spartanburg County public safety committee.
However, NorthMark's actual projected water demand for the Valara data center swelled to between 1.4 million and 1.6 million gallons per day, potentially making it the largest water user in the county. Spartanburg Water CEO Guy Boyle stated that NorthMark revealed this updated figure during a September 3 meeting concerning a water meter permit. NorthMark publicly acknowledged the discrepancy on September 21, the first business day after receiving its Department of Environmental Services permit for necessary turbines, though their public post stated a slightly lower average of 1.2 million gallons.
NorthMark claimed it provided an updated engineering survey to Spartanburg Water in February for water meter sizing. However, Boyle noted that such engineering estimates for meter sizing from new industries can be unreliable, and Spartanburg Water relied on the officially signed compliance document from Valara. Boyle also described communication with NorthMark and its engineering partner, Jacobs Engineering, as "difficult," contributing to delays in sharing critical information needed for infrastructure planning.
Despite the significant increase in projected water use, Spartanburg Water indicated that the updated load, representing 1.6 to 1.8 percent of unused capacity and a 4.8 to 5.5 percent increase in average daily demand, is manageable within its existing capacity to treat and distribute water and wastewater services.