Water, wastewater and cooling systems take center stage in data‑center discussion

Water and wastewater capacity were central topics during the joint work session. Commissioners and council members raised the need for a water‑use study and discussed requiring closed‑loop or glycol‑based cooling systems to reduce fresh‑water demand. Participants also suggested establishing tap and meter fees to reflect system impacts and recovery costs.

City staff and commissioners emphasized ensuring that any permitted discharge from a facility would not exceed the capacity of the municipal wastewater treatment plant; no firm numeric thresholds or engineering analyses were presented at the meeting. The discussion flagged the need for technical reports and utility coordination before draft ordinance language is finalized.