San Angelo adopts data‑center zoning, wastewater and water‑use limits after heated public comment

San Angelo’s City Council on May 19 adopted a three‑part regulatory package governing data centers within the city limits, responding to weeks of intense public comment that ranged from environmental alarm to economic enthusiasm.

The ordinances require data centers in light‑ and heavy‑manufacturing zones to obtain a conditional‑use permit and meet new design standards, including a 300‑foot buffer from residential zoning, opaque fencing adjacent to RS and RM1/RM1L zones and a daytime‑equivalent noise limit of 55 A‑weighted decibels, Planning Director Aaron Vannoy said during the second reading presentation.

Council also approved a wastewater ordinance requiring all spent cooling water and domestic effluent from new data centers to flow into the city’s water‑reclamation plant for treatment. Water Director John Cockman said operators must sample and verify treated discharges before release, maintain records for three years, and submit prompt reports for planned and emergency discharges; hazardous chemical discharges will be prohibited.

Separately, the council adopted a water‑use ordinance that sets operational limits tied to closed‑loop cooling. Under the ordinance a data center’s initial cooling water inventory may not exceed 8 gallons per square foot of gross building area; scheduled maintenance refills may occur no more often than once every three years; and routine makeup water is capped at 6 percent of the total cooling inventory per year. Water Utilities staff used the Skybox Emergent proposal as an example and calculated a conservative maximum of about 11.33 million gallons per year for a nine‑building campus — roughly 0.26 percent of San Angelo’s annual metered water use, Water Utilities Director John Kaufman told council.

Council members said the measures were a compromise between protecting public resources and allowing development. Councilman Patrick Keely said the city must remain open to investment but “also get ahead of the curve” on public‑safety and infrastructure impacts. Mayor Tom Thompson said the caps and reporting requirements put the city in control of how much water and wastewater the facilities may use and release.

The public comment period was substantial. Opponents warned of noise, low‑frequency vibration, light pollution, wildfire‑risk batteries, and long‑term water stress; supporters argued the projects would add construction and permanent jobs and strengthen the tax base. China Young and other speakers submitted draft moratorium language and petition signatures asking the council to pause approvals pending additional study; council rejected a moratorium and proceeded with the ordinances.

Under the new rules, data centers will still be able to locate in industrial zones, but must meet the conditions in the ordinance and the conditional‑use review process before moving forward. City staff said they will monitor compliance and that penalties and corrective actions are available under Chapter 11 of the municipal code if operators fail to meet monitoring or reporting obligations.

Council vote: the data‑center zoning, wastewater discharge and water‑use ordinances each passed unanimously (6–0).