Lubbock data center named in statewide water use compliance investigation

The TWDB survey tracks how much water data centers pull from local supplies across the state. Paxton's office says several Texas developments, including the one in Lubbock, never responded, and that gap is now part of a broader compliance investigation. The release does not name the specific developer or say where in Lubbock the facility sits.

Data centers use huge amounts of water for cooling servers, which matters in a region that already watches its water closely. Lubbock pulls from a mix of groundwater and imported supply, and any large industrial user skipping a state water survey raises questions about how much water it actually draws and whether anyone here has a clear picture of it.

For Lubbock, it means the state is now watching a project that ignored a required water report, and any violations found could affect how the facility operates or how future data center projects in the area get permitted. Right now, the practical impact is uncertain because the AG's office hasn't detailed what happens next.

Texas has been recruiting data centers hard for their tax revenue and jobs. Now one connected to Lubbock is caught up in a fight over whether the state can even track how much water they're using.