El Paso Water CEO John Balliew said the utility has planned for growth since 2009 and expects Meta's new data center in Northeast El Paso to use only a small share of the water supply. Balliew said the company would be treated like any other large customer, such as a golf course, hotel, hospital or subdivision.
Meta is investing $10 billion in the 3-million-square-foot facility, which is expected to need 480,000 gallons of water a day to cool computer servers. Balliew said the utility provides more than 30 billion gallons a year, and Meta would not be among its top 10 users when it starts operating.
Balliew said the utility began studying the infrastructure for about 1,000 acres of desert nearly two decades ago. He said a separate figure of 2.5 million gallons a day would apply only on days when temperatures reach 117 degrees, a number he said concerns some people. He also said state law requires the utility to serve customers within its service area.