Nebraska Mandates Data Center Water Usage Disclosure

Nebraska's Legislature has passed a new law mandating that data centers operating within the state disclose their annual water usage and power demand to state agencies. Jesse Bradley, director of the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, stated that this legislation represents a "great start" and will aid in future planning by identifying information gaps. The increased focus on water usage comes as companies increasingly seek to build data centers in Nebraska, a state where water availability can fluctuate significantly and where agricultural regions are experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Currently, transparency regarding data center water consumption relies heavily on voluntary disclosures from the companies themselves. The state lacks an official count of the total number of data centers operating within its borders. For those that have reported their water usage, the figures vary considerably. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, reported that its Nebraska data centers consumed approximately 732 million gallons of water in 2025, with expectations of increased consumption. Meta's data center in Sarpy County, spanning four million square feet, withdrew between 26.7 million and 37.5 million gallons annually from the local water supply between 2020 and 2024.

Data centers utilize water primarily for cooling their facilities and the internal computer servers, essential for maintaining optimal operating temperatures and preventing equipment malfunctions. Evaporative cooling systems, a common method, are known to consume substantial amounts of water. Alternative systems, such as air-cooled chillers, employ a closed-loop system that may contain water, chemical coolants, or a combination of both, offering a potentially more water-efficient approach.