Residents warn proposed data‑center water use will stress wells during drought

Residents at the Green Belt meeting repeatedly said their private wells and livestock supplies are already strained amid a severe drought and asked how large new water users can be accommodated without harming domestic supply. One resident asked directly: "When those wells run out ... where are we supposed to be? Where are we going to get water?"

Speakers described a system operating in drought stage four and said supplemental wells provided the majority of recent supply. Several attendees urged the board to require transparent engineering studies and to ensure that municipal and private needs be protected before new commercial allocations proceed. Board representatives said they will review applications and identify required infrastructure upgrades, but they also said Green Belt does not retail directly to individuals and that retail distribution is handled by municipal or other retail entities such as Red River.

Residents asked for more public notice before potential sales and suggested the board insist on clearer commitments from private developers about how and when treated water would be returned to the system. The meeting did not produce new enforceable guarantees about private‑well protections.