A proposed data center in Delaware could guzzle up to 20 million gallons of water every year, and it’s far from the only one planned for the region, reported WHYY News.
What’s happening?
Starwood Digital Ventures is seeking to build a 1.2-gigawatt facility called “Project Washington” in Delaware City, located in New Castle County. The site would need between 9.9 million and nearly 20 million gallons of water annually just to cool its servers, based on a Coastal Zone Act application submitted to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
State regulators in Delaware determined last week that the project falls short of Coastal Zone Act standards. The plans call for 516 generators running on diesel and tanks holding 2.5 million gallons on site.
The tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey has over 50 similar projects in the pipeline. The largest of these facilities can suck through as much as 5 million gallons of potable water daily. Some have already depleted well water for nearby residents…