Data center committee dives into water and sewer concerns
The Greenwood County Ad Hoc Committee for Data Centers examined whether local water and wastewater systems could support potential data center development. Utility officials discussed treatment capacity, collection infrastructure, cooling-related water use, drought planning and the need for developers to fund required upgrades.
The Greenwood County Ad Hoc Committee for Data Centers heard from Greenwood CPW, Greenwood Metro and Spartanburg Water officials about the infrastructure needed to serve potential data centers. Greenwood CPW General Manager Jeff Meredith said the utility has approximately 15 million gallons per day of additional treatment capacity, while noting that some areas of southern Greenwood County have more limited infrastructure.
Greenwood Metro Government Relations Director Tony Williamson said wastewater capacity depends on collection systems, discharge volumes and the chemical composition of cooling-system wastewater, not just treatment-plant capacity. Spartanburg Water CEO Guy Boyle discussed the NorthMark data center project, which is expected to use 1.2 million to 1.6 million gallons of water daily, and urged officials to evaluate development across the Saluda River Basin, including drought and competing water needs. The committee plans to address data center power, energy and heat generation at its next meeting.