Officials flag wastewater, discharge and closed‑loop cooling as key issues for data center proposals

Officials emphasized that data center cooling systems and wastewater handling will be a central permitting consideration if Grayson County allows modern digital campuses.

Consultant Michael and county staff explained that many large data centers use closed‑loop or recirculating cooling systems that minimize continuous discharge but still require periodic blowdown, testing and potential pre‑treatment of water. Michael said closed‑loop systems can still generate treated discharge during commissioning or testing and pointed to examples where pre‑treatment chemicals produced problems when introduced to local wastewater plants. The county was advised to require applicants to disclose cooling technology, pretreatment plans, and periodic reporting when a special‑use permit is required.

Supervisors and staff discussed options for responsibility and oversight: developers could be required to build and operate on‑site treatment facilities or pay for third‑party inspections and periodic reporting, and the county could embed enforcement remedies in special‑use permits or contract agreements for public land. Miss Black was asked to provide data on current county wastewater capacity and preliminary cost estimates for expanding capacity to support a large facility; that information will inform whether the county should require on‑site treatment or negotiate developer-funded infrastructure upgrades.