19119_Authority_April_2026

10 The Authority │ April Data Centers: A New Communications Challenge for Water Authorities By Liesel Gross, CEO, Lehigh County Authority Last year, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) published a well-timed report to help water utilities plan ahead for the potential siting of data centers within their service areas ( Cooling the Cloud: Water Utilities in a Data- Driven World , AWWA, October 2025). The report provides evidence that the proliferation of these facilities will continue and offers guidance to utilities when faced with local data center developments. Importantly, the report suggests that utilities start now to coordinate within their regions, consider alternative water source availability, look at integrated water solutions like water reuse, and plan, plan, plan . However, in all of its 27 pages of great information and guidance, the report includes just one paragraph describing the need for utilities to think about the public message they share when a data center is proposing to locate in their service area. Public communication was not the focus of the AWWA report, but it is a critical component that water utilities need to prepare for. Lehigh County’s Data Center Frenzy Since November 2025, two different data center developments have been proposed in Lehigh County, triggering immediate public concern and planning activity. Both could fall within Lehigh County Authority’s (LCA) general water and sewer service area. Neither proposal has clearly stated its water or sewer demands. Residents are right to ask questions. While most of the local discussion about data centers has focused on their potential impact on electric utilities and the quality of life in surrounding neighborhoods, the concern about the impact on the environment, water availability and water quality is following close behind . The fact that we don’t know much about the intended water requirements for these developments doesn’t help. Some have suggested data centers could require up to five million gallons of water per day, while others are contemplating closed-loop cooling systems that require water only intermittently. In the face of this uncertainty, LCA has remained focused on seeking answers to these questions. We cannot make definitive statements about the availability of water to serve these developments, or the impact on other water customers in our service area, until we know more. Intertwined Water Messages What we learned quickly is this: When people hear “data center,” every water issue starts to feel connected . At around the same time, LCA faced declining water supply levels due to a prolonged period of low precipitation. In December, the PA Department of Environmental Protection issued a Drought Watch for our area. We expect this declaration to be escalated to a Drought Warning very soon as water levels continue to drop. Two years of low rainfall are taking a toll, and customers will need to pitch in and conserve water where possible to help maintain a sustainable supply until the rain returns to replenish our groundwater wells, springs, streams and rivers.