Farmers raise concerns about protecting water resources in wake of Ohio Chamber of Commerce study on data-center demand
A study by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce found that central and southwestern Ohio are well-positioned for data center growth regarding water resources until 2030. However, farmers and agricultural experts express concern about long-term water availability beyond this period, citing potential conflicts with agricultural demand and significant water usage by data centers and their supporting power generation. They advocate for increased transparency and proactive planning to protect Ohio's water resources.
A recent study by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation suggests that central and southwestern Ohio possess sufficient water and electricity resources to support data center growth through 2030. The study, released in June, indicates that these corridors are "broadly well positioned" for expansion from a water-resource perspective.
However, this finding has prompted concerns from Ohio's agricultural community, which contributes an estimated $124 billion to the state's economy annually. Farmers and food producers fear they are being excluded from critical discussions about water management and long-term resource protection, particularly given that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) previously indicated a potential collision course between industrial (primarily data center) and agricultural water demands by 2040.
Experts involved in the 15-county Central Ohio Regional Water Study, set for release in 2025 by the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, project industrial water demand in the region could increase by 120% between 2021 and 2050, reaching 250 million gallons daily. Agricultural demands could also hit 110 million gallons daily by 2040 during peak growing seasons. While the City of Columbus currently supplies about 141 million gallons of water daily, with data centers consuming about 3% of that last year, critics argue the Chamber's 2030 outlook is too short-sighted. They also point out that water consumption for on-site power generation for data centers could eventually surpass direct data center water use.
Farmers, represented by organizations like the Ohio Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation, are advocating for smart growth strategies, protection of prime farmland, and greater transparency regarding water usage. Their efforts recently led the Ohio EPA to withdraw a proposal that would have allowed data centers to discharge cooling water into nearby streams rather than sanitary sewers, a move supported by environmental groups. Academics like Vinayak Shedekar from Ohio State University's Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering also stress the need for long-term water management strategies, citing concerns about seasonal rainfall variability and future climate changes that could lead to water scarcity despite Ohio's overall water richness.