ATLANTA — The growth of data centers means a growing demand for local water providers. Cole Blackwell, General Manager of the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority tells WSB Radio it’s on the minds of utility providers across metro Atlanta.

“We need to be able to preserve our most precious resource, that being water,” said Blackwell.

It can take millions of gallons of water to cool the average data center.

“Some data centers may use over one million gallons of water per day,” explains Blackwell. “I’ve heard up some using up to three million gallons per day. We have a finite source of water here in metro Atlanta”.

Among the flurry of data center-related bills proposed at the state capitol is a measure that would require companies publicly disclose the water and energy usage demands of their projects.

WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.