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Farmers warn commission that industrial water use could strain county supplies
Summary
During the work session residents and commissioners raised concerns about large industrial water use—citing mandated farmer reductions and a presenter’s claim that data centers can use up to 5,000,000 gallons a day—urging the county to consider water limits in CUPs.
Residents and several commissioners pressed the planning commission to consider water use limits as part of proposed CUP changes, saying agricultural users are already facing mandated cuts.
One participant summarized recent cuts affecting area farmers: "They're they're asking us as farmers to cut back 15% every year. So we've cut back the last 3 years 15%," a resident said, describing multi-year reductions. The presenter and others noted that some industrial facilities under discussion could use very large amounts of water; the presenter said data centers could use "5,000,000 gallons a day."
Commissioners and residents discussed mapping well sites and recent aerial water-level surveys; members asked staff to collect water-use data, identify primary water sources for large facilities and coordinate with neighboring cities where appropriate. The commission did not adopt formal water-use limits in this session but flagged the issue for follow-up as CUP language is refined.
