Water & Data Centers

Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) provides municipal water to over 475,000 people across Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. Approximately 80% of TMWA’s water supply comes from the Truckee River.

Growth Pays for Growth

TMWA’s policy is clear: new development must pay its own way. Developers are responsible for purchasing and dedicating water rights, paying connection and facility fees, and funding any infrastructure needed to serve their project. Existing customers are not responsible for the cost of growth for any development.

TMWA does not have land use planning authority and does not decide how this region grows.  Land use decisions — including approval of data centers — are made by local governments, through established planning and public review processes. TMWA’s role is to ensure that new development provides TMWA with sustainable water rights and pays for the cost of all necessary infrastructure to deliver water to their development.

Current Data Center Water Use in Context

The largest data centers in this region are located in Storey County and are not connected to TMWA’s municipal water system. TMWA is leading the effort to optimize this region’s water resources for the Truckee Meadows. For example, TMWA works closely with Reno and Sparks to manage Truckee River water rights so they can send treated effluent to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center General Improvement District for industrial uses, which is an efficient reuse of the region’s water resources and improves water quality in the river.

There are currently three data centers under construction and their estimated water use is 22 acre-feet/year (less than 0.02% of TMWA’s annual water deliveries). For reference, a single-family residence typically uses 1/3 of an acre- foot for water service.

Planning for the Future

TMWA plans for all growth through a comprehensive, long-term process. Every five years, TMWA updates its Water Resource Plan, which evaluates future water demand based on projected population growth and water usage patterns.  In the most-recent plan TMWA concludes it can meet water demands for this region for the next 20 years and beyond. The plan analyzes supply reliability under drought conditions and various climate change scenarios and identifies strategies to ensure sufficient water for decades ahead. The current plan demonstrates that — through careful management, regional cooperation, and long-term investment — the Truckee Meadows has a sustainable water supply for this.

Regional Planning

The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency reviews all “Projects of Regional Significance” for conformance with the Regional Plan. For water, any project that uses 625-acre feet/year or more is a Project of Regional Significance and must be reviewed by Regional Planning to ensure it conforms to the Regional Plan. Regional Planning has been analyzing data center impacts to power and water and has formed a staff working group.  The group will continue that analysis and advise local governments about potential data center policy options. TMWA is participating in that working group.

Learn More

TMWA Water Resource Plan:  tmwa.com/planning   |   Board Meetings:  tmwa.com/meetings