The massive Meta data center rising in Northeast El Paso has brought concerns about water access to the forefront of many citizens' minds.
When the El Paso City Council voted against renegotiating Meta's contract in early June, many public cries focused on the region's water scarcity and the impact the data center might have on an already dry, drought-stricken locale.
But how does Meta's anticipated water consumption compare to the water already being guzzled by businesses and agencies in the Borderland?
El Paso Water has forecast that the Meta data center will consume around 400,000 gallons of water daily, with spikes as high as 1.5 million gallons during extreme heat, averaging 500,000 gallons a day. The Meta data center will consume 182.5 million gallons of water each
year.
At that rate, it would not even chart among the top 10 water consumers in the city, which are as follows, in order, according to El Paso Water's most recent financial reports:
- El Paso Electric: 6.93 billion gallons per year, or 20.1%
- Lower Valley Water District Authority: 2.38 billion gallons per year, or 6.9%
- City of El Paso: 1.61 billion gallons per year, or 4.7%
- Paseo del Este Municipal Utility District: 1.11 billion gallons per year, or 3.2%
- Federal government: 558.9 million gallons per year, or 1.6%
- El Paso County: 492.3 million gallons per year, or 1.4%
- Western Refining (Marathon Petroleum): 423.5 million gallons per year, or 1.2%
- Housing Authority of the city of El Paso: 403.6 million gallons per year, or 1.2%
- El Paso Independent School District: 354.4 million gallons per year, or 1%
- Ysleta Independent School District: 269.5 million gallons per year, or 0.8%
In total, the top 10 water users accounted for more than 14.5 billion gallons in 2025, just over 42% of total water usage, for a combined revenue of $65.16 million to El Paso Water.
Even after adjusting for daily consumption up to 750,000 gallons, the new Meta data center would replace YISD for the last spot on the top 10 list, at 273.7 million gallons per year. At 1 million gallons per day, or 365 million gallons per year, the new Meta data center would land at number nine on the list.
But citizen concerns go well beyond water consumption to include noise and air pollution, rising temperatures in the data center's vicinity, and a possible financial impact that could see residents bearing the cost for a multi-billion-dollar corporation.
How is water being used?
Water is being used in a variety of ways among the top five water users in El Paso.
While El Paso Electric did not respond to a request for information on how it utilizes nearly 7 billion gallons of water each year, a study from the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy found that the vast majority of the utility company's water usage is for cooling its power plants.
The Lower Valley Water District Authority is responsible for providing water and wastewater, along with solid waste services, to multiple communities east of the El Paso city limits, including the city of Socorro, the community of San Elizario, the town of Clint, the El Paso County Sparks Addition, Sand Hills and the El Paso County colonias.
Likewise, water used by the city of El Paso flows to an extensive citywide system of public spaces, facilities and services.
"The city is responsible for 291 parks, 13 pools, four water parks, 11 spray parks and several hundred other public facilities, including police regional command centers, fire stations, health centers, recreation centers, libraries, museums, transit facilities and administrative offices," city Strategic Communications Director Laura Cruz-Acosta said in an email. "The total reflects the combined water needed to operate and maintain these public assets and provide services throughout the community."
The Paseo Del Este Municipal Utility District did not respond to a request for information on how it uses water, nor did El Paso Water when asked how the federal government is using water in El Paso.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Will Meta data center use more water than El Paso's current top users?
