156 Texas data centers warned to comply with water use reporting requirements

By
FOX Local
Published October 15, 2026 6:22 PM CDT

The Brief

    • The Texas attorney general's office has sent letters to 156 data centers across more than 30 counties urging them to report their water usage.
    • The action aligns with Gov. Greg Abbott's order pausing new data center approvals pending a statewide audit of their impact on power and water resources.
    • Facilities that fail to comply face potential fines and could be denied essential operating permits and renewals.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas attorney general’s office has sent letters to 156 data center developments across the state urging them to comply with water use reporting requirements. 

What we know:

Attorney General Ken Paxton said data centers are required by law to respond to the Texas Water Development Board’s water use survey, and many have not done so. 

His office announced the letters were being sent out on Thursday, but did not provide any further details regarding what the letters said. 

What they're saying:

"Data center developers must follow the law and respect the Texans and communities affected by their operations," Paxton said in a news release.

Dig deeper:

Data centers in over 30 counties will be receiving letters. They include: Bexar, Brazos, Cameron, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ector, El Paso, Glasscock, Harris, Hidalgo, Hood, Lubbock, Maverick, McLennan, Midland, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Pecos, Potter, Randall, Sherman, Tarrant, Tom Green, Travis, Victoria, Waller, Ward, Webb, Wichita, Williamson. 

Gov. Abbott orders pause for all data centers until ERCOT audit is finished

Gov. Abbott says data centers cannot be approved until ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) gather the information they need.

State audit looks at data centers' impact on natural resources 

The backstory:

This comes as a statewide audit is being conducted to determine what impact data centers could have on Texas' power grid and natural resources. 

Gov. Gregg Abbott in August instructed state energy regulators to halt approvals for new data center projects until the audit is completed. Information on water use is required to be disclosed as a part of the audit. 

The governor also ordered the state’s water development board to start penalizing major water users like data centers that are not in compliance with reporting requirements. 

What's next:

Failing to comply could make certain data center developments ineligible for permits and renewals, and could result in fines, according to officials. 

The Source: The information in this article comes from a press release from the Texas attorney general's office and previous Fox Local reporting. 

NewsTexasTop Stories