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:
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.
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.
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?
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Adam Powell, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
