Amazon Clears Key Water Hurdle for Massive Data Center Project

Amazon has cleared a key hurdle in its plans to build a nearly 3,000-acre data center campus near Houston. The tech giant recently received groundwater permits from the Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation District for parts of the $10 billion project.

The permits allow Amazon to tap into three wells, withdrawing up to 78.2 million gallons of groundwater over two and a half years. However, the company expects to use only about 5.8 million gallons annually for restrooms, sinks, and office buildings, plus an additional 1.3 million gallons annually for fire suppression.

Amazon has stated that it will comply with Governor Greg Abbott's requests to reuse its own water and disclose its water usage. The company has also pledged to use technology to minimize its water consumption and fund regional water replenishment programs.

Despite the permits, many local residents remain concerned about the impact of the data center on their community's drinking water wells. A judge overseeing Amazon's permit application ruled that local residents couldn't establish that the wells would harm residential groundwater.