- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Oklahoma's Data Center Boom Strains Water Demand
Tech giants like Google guzzle billions of gallons, raising concerns about future supply
Published on Feb. 25, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
As major tech companies like Google build massive data centers across Oklahoma, the state's water resources are being strained. Google's Pryor data center alone used over 1.1 billion gallons of water in one year, enough to fill 1,666 Olympic-size swimming pools. With at least 10 new data centers under construction or awaiting approval, residents in many towns worry about the impact on local water supplies. While some data centers are exploring less water-intensive cooling systems, the state's overall water demand is expected to grow by 18% over the next 20 years, fueled by population growth and urban expansion.
Why it matters
The rapid growth of data centers in Oklahoma is putting a significant strain on the state's water resources, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of this development. As water demand increases, there are questions about whether local communities will have enough supply to meet the needs of both data centers and residents.
The details
Google's Pryor data center, the company's second-largest in the world, used over 1.1 billion gallons of water in one year. The center discharges about 253 million gallons of wastewater back into the Neosho River, with the rest lost through evaporation. MidAmerica Industrial Park, which supplies water to Google and other data centers, has a permit to withdraw up to 27.375 billion gallons per year. Other major data center projects, like Project Anthem in east Tulsa and Project Clydesdale in north Tulsa County, are expected to use up to 1 billion and 2.2 billion gallons per year, respectively. While some data centers are exploring less water-intensive cooling systems, the state's overall water demand is still projected to grow by 18% over the next 20 years.
- In the year from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, Google's Pryor data center used over 1.1 billion gallons of water.
- In October 2025, state lawmakers were told that by 2075, projected water demand will exceed available surface water supply for permitting in some areas of Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City and Tulsa regions.
The players
An American multinational technology company that operates the world's largest data center in Pryor, Oklahoma, which used over 1.1 billion gallons of water in one year.
MidAmerica Industrial Park
A state-owned industrial park that supplies water to Google's Pryor data center and other facilities, with a permit to withdraw up to 27.375 billion gallons of water per year.
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
The state agency that predicts water demand in Oklahoma will grow by 18% over the next 20 years, and that by 2075, projected demand will exceed available surface water supply for permitting in some areas.
Yohanes Sugeng
An engineer for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board who told state lawmakers in October 2025 that new and emerging users, such as data centers, will contribute to the strain on the state's water supply.
Rhonda Markum
A Payne County Commissioner who said Google estimates it will eventually use nearly 3 billion gallons of water a year for six data centers under development in Stillwater.
What they’re saying
“Considering MidAmerica's current water usage by existing customers and anticipated increases in demand, the contracted GRDA supply and available treatment capacity are adequate to meet foreseeable water requirements.”
— Nathan Cross, Attorney for MidAmerica Industrial Park
“The new and emerging users, such as data centers, will contribute to the strain depending on how data centers source water.”
— Yohanes Sugeng, Engineer, Oklahoma Water Resources Board
“We'll be one of the largest customers of the city water so we believe (the) city can make revenue from our operations to cover the extension cost.”
— Alex Zhang, CEO, Polaris Technologies (Email to Muskogee city officials)
“We're not going to take water away from citizens for a project like that. That wouldn't be neighborly.”
— Howard Whatley, Vice-chair, Muskogee Rural Water District #3
What’s next
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board will continue to monitor the state's water supply and demand, and work with communities and data center developers to ensure sustainable water usage.
The takeaway
The rapid growth of data centers in Oklahoma is putting significant strain on the state's water resources, raising concerns about long-term sustainability. While some data centers are exploring less water-intensive cooling systems, the overall increase in water demand from population growth, urban expansion, and new industrial users like data centers will require careful planning and management by state and local officials to ensure adequate water supply for all.
