Data Center Water Tracker Update: August 26, 2026

77 measures and 115 published data center water figures across all fifty states, each linked to its primary source.

The Data Center Water Tracker now carries 77 measures across federal, state, local and interstate levels (23 federal, 29 state, 22 local, 3 interstate), 27 of them enacted, alongside 115 published data center water figures covering all fifty states. Every entry links to its primary source.

New this period (1)

Austin, Texas, Large-load data center resolution: Zoning and water requirements written before the first hyperscale site. Proposed, Aug 26, 2026. A City Council resolution, set for debate and a vote on August 27, 2026, directs work on a definition for high-impact data centers and a review process that would require developers to seek additional city approval. Planning staff also recommend new requirements covering water use, noise, heat and lighting, and a statement in the city’s economic development policy that Austin will not incentivize data center construction. Source

Newly located from earlier periods (4)

Added to the tracker this week, adopted or introduced earlier. These are not this week’s activity.

Imperial County, California, Data center development freeze: Freeze running to June 2027 after a Colorado River water denial. Enacted, Jun 2026. Source
Oklahoma, SB 259: Groundwater Modernization Act. Enacted, Approved May 20, 2026. Source
Utah, H.B. 76: Data Center Water Transparency Amendments. Enacted, Effective May 6, 2026. Source
Texas, Government Code 552.1331 (H.B. 872, 87th Legislature): Smart meter records exception used to withhold data center water use. Enacted, Effective Sep 1, 2021. Source

New published water figures (3, in 2 states)

Each figure carries its own basis, period, scope and source. Figures on different bases are never compared or summed, and a permit limit, allowance or projection is listed as evidence rather than drawn as a measured bar.

CA: 880 acre-feet/yr (≈260 million gal) (Use — irrigation-district application, denied, Applied Apr 22, 2026). Named project: Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing LLC, Imperial County. Source
VA: 19.6 million gal/day (Use — locality-committed supply allowance, Committed as of Jun 2026). Named operator: Amazon campuses in Louisa, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Stafford counties. Source
VA: 2 million gal/day contracted, up to 8 million gal/day on request (Use — contracted municipal supply allowance, Agreement executed Oct 14, 2025). Named project: Google campus at Botetourt Center at Greenfield, served by the Western Virginia Water Authority. Source

The standing position

8 states have a published statewide or regional measured aggregate and draw a bar: AZ, CA, NE, NV, OH, TX, VA, WY.
23 states have published figures at facility or instrument level only, with no state total.
19 states have no measured data center water volume published by anyone.

That ratio is the tracker’s central finding. The disclosure bills it follows exist because this figure is, almost everywhere, not collected.

The full tracker, with every state’s file, the federal accordion, and all sources, is at savrn.com/data-center-water-tracker. All citations are on the sources page.