Hays County leaders just sent a clear message to water-hungry data centers and other big industrial users: not so fast.
On Tuesday, county commissioners took up a resolution from County Judge Ruben Becerra that would trigger an emergency review and put a short-term pause on large, water-demanding projects such as data centers while the region battles worsening drought. Instead of voting, the court pushed the decision to June 23 so attorneys and local water providers can dig further into the legal fine print. Becerra said he has also asked Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session so counties have clearer authority over where massive data center campuses are allowed to set up shop.
According to CBS Austin, the proposal would launch a six-month emergency review of any project expected to use large volumes of water. County officials pointed to federal drought maps that classify nearly all of Hays County as being in either "severe" or "extreme" drought. Commissioners delayed the vote after several hours of public comment and pointed questions about whether the county can legally impose a moratorium at all.
Local Fight Over a $1.5 Billion Flashpoint
The debate at the county level comes right on the heels of a bruising local battle in San Marcos, where city council members last week rejected a proposed $1.5 billion data center campus after hundreds of residents spoke out against it, as reported by My San Antonio. State business reporting has highlighted a rush of major data center projects looking at Central Texas sites, and the Houston Chronicle notes that at least six data centers are already proposed or under construction in Hays County, several of them clustered along the same rural road.
Judge: 'Not Necessarily Pro-Business'
Speaking to the Commissioners Court during the February meeting, Becerra reminded colleagues, "I have always been a pro-business county judge ... but this is something that is not necessarily pro-business." He argued that the county needs breathing room to scrutinize industrial-scale water users.
Becerra described the resolution as a narrow, time-limited pause aimed at letting county staff, water suppliers and legal counsel review projects that could draw more than 20,000 gallons of water a day. He warned that if large new users are greenlit without careful study, the strain on local systems could reach the point of affecting basic services like fire protection.
Why Water Is the Sticking Point
Local water officials say the alarm bells are already ringing. The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District reports that aquifer recharge remains low, monitoring wells are under stress and county maps show widespread drought across Hays County.
The rejected San Marcos project became a case study in how tight those margins might be. Draft covenants for the campus included a cap of 75,000 gallons of water per day, although city staff told My San Antonio that real-world use was expected to land closer to 20,000 to 35,000 gallons daily. For critics, that was still a hefty new drain on stressed supplies.
What Happens Next
The Commissioners Court is set to revisit Becerra's resolution on June 23. At that point, members could adopt the temporary pause, tweak the language or simply delay again while they search for firmer legal footing.
County leaders have signaled they will keep pressing the governor and state lawmakers for more tools if current authority is not enough. In the meantime, the Houston Chronicle reports that commissioners have also asked local utilities to examine a potential stage four drought response that could halt new industrial water permits while the larger policy fight shifts to Austin.
CBS Austin is running a reader poll on whether residents support data centers in their area. The question feeds into a larger showdown over whether Central Texas can welcome rapid data center growth and still keep enough water in the ground, with the station planning to share the results on its CBS Austin This Morning broadcast.
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