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Water use, cooling technology and community concerns dominate Sedgwick County discussion on data centers
Summary
Speakers debated water use and cooling technology for data centers, with state officials pointing to closed‑loop and air‑cooled systems and residents citing documents that describe evaporative systems and large river withdrawals; commissioners asked for water‑balance studies and hydrogeologic review in ordinance drafts.
Water use and cooling technology were among the most contested topics at the Sedgwick County roundtable. State and industry speakers said newer designs reduce water demand, while several residents and local leaders cited examples of existing proposals that use evaporative cooling and large water withdrawals.
Paul Hughes (Kansas Department of Commerce) told commissioners that many modern hyperscale data centers pursue closed‑loop or air‑cooled systems, and he said SB 98 conditions access to state incentives on the submission of a water conservation plan. Hughes said…
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