DFW’s Fight Between Data Centers and Clean Water

Local residents grapple with data centers and water pollution

FORT WORTH, TX, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex holds the unofficial title of top data center construction market in the United States. While tech advocates point to the growth potential of local power grids, residents and environmental experts have serious concerns about local water pollution.

These fears have driven legislative action by local officials to hear public sentiment about the future of AI-related construction and its effects on water quality.

On August 11, 2026, the Fort Worth City Council initiated the process for a 90-day moratorium on data center development and construction. Its first public hearing about that moratorium is scheduled for November 10.

While the process allows time for stricter water and power usage regulations to be created, local water quality experts still have concerns.

“Between PFAS and blue-green algae, we’re already struggling to get good water into homes,” says Steven Smith, Responsible Master Plumber at DFW’s Mother Modern Plumbing. “If we don’t get the regulations right, data centers will add cooling tower chemicals and salts to the mix.”

The debate over data centers and chemical runoff extends beyond Fort Worth. Current and proposed sites stretch from the I-35 corridor in southern Dallas and Ellis County to new extensions in Irving and Garland. Still others exist in Plano and Allen.

Current construction in the Metroplex boasts a 760 megawatt capacity- enough electricity to power over 550,000 homes at the same time. Proposed data center sites will use another 3.7 gigawatts of power, nearly five times what currently exists.

“That much power needs 3 or 4 commercial nuclear reactors or a bunch of coal-fired power plants,” Smith remarks. “The issue is more than the raw power- all the runoff and coolant has to go somewhere.”

While cities like Fort Worth look to enact closed-loop systems in an effort to conserve water, this does little to solve the problem of potential chemical runoff in water. City officials note the treated water will be hauled off to treatment plans across Fort Worth.

Still, locals are unclear on exactly how effective the separation between cooling tower water and their incoming water supply will be.

“We’re seeing a rise in homeowner interest when it comes to home water filtration systems,” Smith reports. “Not just at the tap. Whole home systems that get installed right on the main water supply line. People want their water treated before it even reaches the house.”

Until greater clarity is offered to DFW residents regarding the precise treatment of water from data centers, this trend is likely to continue.

Matthew Silkwood
Mother Modern Plumbing
+1 979-220-1702
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