The same size data center can have very different water impacts depending on whether it uses closed-loop, air-cooled, hybrid, or evaporative cooling.
Require the applicant to identify whether the system is closed-loop, air-cooled, evaporative, hybrid, or liquid-cooled.
Municipal water, well water, reclaimed water, surface water, and industrial reuse all have different impacts.
Peak-day use and annual consumption both matter. One number alone can be misleading.
Municipalities can require water-use estimates, cooling system descriptions, drought response plans, reporting requirements, and disclosure of whether reclaimed water can be used.
A blanket rule against "data center water use" may miss the point. A closed-loop facility and a high-evaporation facility may have very different impacts.