AUSTIN — The Texas Water Development Board released a draft of the 2027 State Water Plan in April 2025, outlining water infrastructure projects with a projected total cost of $174 billion over 50 years. The draft has drawn criticism from environmental advocates for omitting projected water demands from data centers.

Mike Clifford of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance said, "If you leave the data centers out, it's not really a plan in our opinion. It's going to have to be changed and it's going to fall short." Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin estimate data centers could account for as much as 9% of Texas’ total water use by 2040 and potentially surpass the oil and gas industry in water consumption within the same timeframe. According to Data Center Map, Texas currently hosts 461 data centers.

Clifford stated, "Once we get into August, September, we'll be probably right back in the same drought situation." He urged that data center companies, rather than taxpayers, bear the cost of new water infrastructure necessitated by their growth.

The Texas Water Development Board has encouraged public feedback on the draft before it is finalized. The public comment period ends on Friday, May 29, at 5 p.m.