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County staff and engineers say data centers increasingly use air-cooled systems; water sourcing and reporting remain key concerns
Summary
Technical experts told the committee that most modern data centers favor closed-loop air-cooled systems that use little makeup water, but when water cooling is proposed developers must demonstrate source capacity, hydrological testing and commitments not to harm private wells; staff proposed annual reporting and telemetry for large users.
Olsen water and mechanical experts told the committee that the prevailing industry trend is toward air‑cooled, closed‑loop systems that use little to no makeup water for cooling. Lauren Stanton, a water/wastewater engineer with Olsen, said site due diligence includes reviewing existing infrastructure, capital improvement plans, source capacity and potential upgrades in collaboration with utilities and water districts.
Brad Hutchins said water-cooled sites still exist and, when used, typically require treatment, blowdown and coordination…
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