Lebanon Committee bans data centers townshipwide, citing water and environmental concerns

The Lebanon Township Committee voted July 8 to adopt Ordinance No. 10-2026, a townshipwide ban on data centers and related high-density digital infrastructure. The ordinance adds a new definition of “Data Center” to the municipal zoning code and makes such facilities non-permitted uses in every zoning district, including areas later designated for redevelopment or rehabilitation.

Ordinance language describes a data center as a facility “used primarily for the storage, management, and processing of digital or electronic data” and explicitly lists associated components such as transformers, substations, generators and cooling systems. Committee materials and the ordinance text emphasize concerns about high, continuous electricity demand, substantial water use for cooling, and potential impacts on the township’s fractured-bedrock aquifers and Highlands Preservation Area. The ordinance cites local water-supply and ecological risks—especially to coldwater trout streams and groundwater recharge areas—as central reasons for the prohibition.

The Committee opened public comment; one resident urged that emergency services be included in future data-center decisions. After discussion the committee adopted the measure by unanimous vote (mover: Beverly Koehler; second: Jay Wojcik). The ordinance language and the resolution directing codification were made part of the municipal record at the July 8 meeting.