Utah's leaders are promoting the state as a data center hub while pledging to restore the shrinking Great Salt Lake, raising questions about water use in a drought-prone region. Governor Spencer Cox insists most facilities do not consume much water, but new legislation aims to increase transparency on their consumption. Environmental advocates and lawmakers call for better oversight to balance economic growth with conservation efforts.
In late September, Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced a partnership involving state government, a nonprofit, and business leaders to help refill the Great Salt Lake ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics. The lake requires a rise of more than six feet to reach a minimum healthy elevation, demanding years of increased water flows, according to scientists and resource managers.
At the same time, Utah has emerged as a destination for data centers, which traditionally use significant water for evaporative cooling. Since 2021, the state has added or planned at least 15 such facilities, per Data Center Map. Cox dismissed concerns about water use, stating, “Most of the data centers do not consume water. This is a big misnomer out there.” He highlighted the need for more energy through initiatives like Operation Gigawatt to support artificial intelligence growth and warned against limiting development in a global tech race.
Records from municipal providers reveal varying consumption. The National Security Agency's Bluffdale facility used over 126 million gallons from October 2024 to September 2025, equivalent to the annual indoor needs of nearly 800 households. Aligned Data Centers consumed 80 million gallons in West Valley and 47.4 million in West Jordan, while eBay's South Jordan site used 19.5 million. Newer operations like DataBank's Granite Point in Bluffdale used just 7.7 million gallons over the same period, despite more space.
Novva's West Jordan campus, covering 1.5 million square feet, used 3 million gallons, two-thirds for landscaping, and relies on a closed-loop cooling system that avoids evaporative methods. CEO Wes Swenson noted, “We think the tradeoffs for a water-free system are worth it,” citing drought risks and client demands.
Meta's Eagle Mountain facility withdrew over 35 million gallons in 2024, up from previous years, under a confidentiality agreement with the city. It benefits from tax exemptions and has invested $100 million in local infrastructure. In Millard County, the planned Joule Capital Partners campus holds rights to over 10,000 acre-feet of groundwater but plans closed-loop systems.
State Representative Jill Koford, a Republican, has sponsored a bill requiring data centers to report water use anonymously to promote transparency. “We really don’t have any statewide guardrails for reporting and transparency,” she said. Salt Lake City enacted an ordinance in 2022 limiting industries using over 200,000 gallons daily amid regional shortages. Nationwide, $64 billion in data center projects faced blocks in 2024 due to water and energy concerns, with many in high-stress areas like Utah.
Experts like Brigham Young University's Ben Abbott emphasize that while data centers use water, agriculture and lawns consume far more. Still, Koford stressed, “We live in a desert. Let’s be smart about how we use our water.” As more campuses develop, their full impacts remain under scrutiny.
