Despite debates over environmental consequences and public concerns, towns like Childress have found a way to cope with the chronic water shortage problem thanks to the boom in data centers across the United States.
The town in northwest Texas, which lacks its own water sources, relies on the Greenbelt reservoir located about 100 kilometers away and managed by state authorities. However, the water level in it is gradually dropping due to years of drought in the region, according to Childress mayor Cary Preston, speaking to Lusa agency.
Preston acknowledged that the drought is likely to last several more years, and the reservoir's water level is a serious concern. The state agency responsible for the lake's outflow is investing in water wells that will only become operational by the end of next year. Nevertheless, the construction of data centers in the area has provided the town with benefits it could not refuse, especially regarding water supply.
Within 10 kilometers of the city limits, the Texas company Lancium acquired over one hundred hectares where it is building and expanding a data center that will serve companies such as Meta. The construction has already transformed the landscape, and the scale of work and earthmoving attracts attention from heavy truck and machinery traffic. Huge power lines, powered by an extensive solar power plant, are being brought to the construction site.
Only in Texas are there over 300 operating data centers, with another two hundred planned for construction in the state. Their appearance raises anxiety and criticism among residents due to high energy and water consumption for cooling, as well as atmospheric, visual, and noise pollution. Issues surrounding data centers have become a central theme of the November 3rd midterm election campaign in the United States, particularly in Texas.
While Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton advocates for their expansion, Democrat James Taralico shares the concerns and objections of the population worried about the impact of these facilities on quality of life and calls for restrictions.
Cary Preston, aware of the 'nightmare stories' of other Texas communities, is confident that Childress is 'lucky.' The local groundwater is brackish, and although it is used for server cooling, human consumption requires purification. Lancium 'offered' Childress and other small towns in the region the construction of a purification plant and an aqueduct through which four million liters of drinking water are planned to be supplied daily. This project represents investments worth tens of millions of dollars, which the city could not secure on its own, and Preston noted that the water could arrive in April of next year.
In one year, the construction of data centers has had a noticeable impact on the population, doubling it from approximately 5,500 people. This has led to a sharp rise in rent, as the city was unable to accommodate such a large number of people. Since 1985, Childress has seen no significant increase in housing stock, and owners have found a way to earn money by raising rents, a matter the local administration has no right to influence.
Landowners have invested in converting plots into trailer parking lots that house data center workers. Consumption in the city has sharply increased, boosting revenue from municipal consumption tax. Preston explained that these taxes help maintain infrastructure, keep streets in good condition, and support fire services.
In addition to water supply, taxes collected by the state of Texas from data centers will be directed to the county education system to implement projects for building new schools and improving existing ones.
Preston suggested that the town is 'lucky,' acknowledging that such significant population growth has overloaded existing infrastructure but has also stimulated the city's development.
Despite the population increase, foot traffic in Childress's historic downtown, established in 1887, remains rare. On Main Street, which resembles an open museum, traces of past life remain, such as an old cinema closed since the 80s, or the old newspaper Childress Index. The situation is changing at the intersection with Highway 287, which runs through Texas from the Gulf of Mexico to Oklahoma, where the roar of trucks is constant. At the other end of town, another noise and a familiar horn indicate the passage of a train carrying hundreds of containers on the old Burlington line, which served the American Midwest states from Colorado to Texas until the 1970s.
Preston, whose main job is related to an insurance brokerage founded by his grandfather, concludes: 'We are a small rural community. I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg of people coming to build and work in data centers. But the problems this has brought regarding coexistence with those who lived here before are the same as before. It's people complaining about a neighbor's dog barking at night, or loud music from another passing car.' He added that 'we will certainly have growing pains, but I think the star of Childress will shine again in Texas,' expressing hope.
