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Commissioners press staff on potential data center impacts to aquifers
Summary
Commissioners asked whether draft plan anticipates water demand from potential data centers; Public Works said allocations currently reflect MDE‑granted limits and noted data centers can be designed to use gray water rather than groundwater.
Commissioners raised questions about whether the Water and Sewer Comprehensive Plan accounts for potential data center water demand and the effect on local aquifers.
A commissioner asked how allocations in the plan would respond to data centers that could increase groundwater extraction. Jay Arcosco, director of public works, said the plan uses current water allocations granted by the Maryland Department of the Environment and does not assume speculative projects. "We have allocations for our water systems that have been granted from MDE, and we plan to enforce them moving forward with allocations we currently have," Arcosco said.
Arcosco and another commissioner noted that some data center designs use recycled or gray water rather than groundwater for cooling. Arcosco said that reuse is preferred where possible because it reduces stress on aquifers and can reuse treated effluent rather than discharging it to spray fields or rapid infiltration basins.
Commissioners signaled that if a data center application comes before the commission, impacts to aquifers and the proposed water‑use design would be key review points.
