Resident urges Denver to require water and land protections for data centers

Courtney, who said she made a career in tech and identified herself as a Denver resident, warned that an increase in data centers will raise water and energy demand and that policymakers must plan to reduce harm to local ecosystems and communities. "How many native plants do we need to add back to a specific area in order to make up for the increase in water demand? I don't know the answer to that question," the speaker said, urging the council to bring in indigenous land stewards and qualified scientific professionals to craft requirements.

Courtney recommended that Denver coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions such as Aurora, which the speaker said has already begun a "large water users guide," and that city policy require data centers at the site-design stage to restore soil and natural water-capture functions. The comment also called for stronger enforcement of composting and recycling rules and for corporate site design to include natural infrastructure restoration as a condition of operation.

The comment tied these recommendations to concerns about long-term water and energy planning for Colorado, noting that aggressive industry timelines and sales pressure can rush approvals. The public comment closed with a call to modernize policy for water-cycle and land protections and to honor local input from land stewards.