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Haines City Water Woes Halt Data Center Plans
11 Jul
Summary
- Haines City faces water capacity limits impacting new developments.
- A Texas-based company's data center proposal is on hold.
- City officials are seeking to expand water production capacity.
A proposed data center in Haines City, Florida, faces an indefinite delay due to the city's insufficient water capacity. Rapid residential expansion since 2020, with over 10,000 new units and another 8,000 planned, has significantly increased demand on the city's utility system.
Currently, Haines City can produce 10 million gallons of water daily, with over 7 million already in use. To accommodate future needs and potential industrial projects, city leaders are pursuing a permit modification with the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to increase daily water production to 16.42 million gallons.
A preliminary inquiry from Texas-based Cielo Digital Infrastructure for a data center near Marion Road and State Road 544 East highlighted the water constraints. Developers requested up to 150,000 gallons of potable water per day, a quantity that exceeds the city's current permitted capacity and is part of the modification request pending SWFWMD board approval.
Residents have expressed concerns about the potential impact of such a large water user on existing supplies. City officials emphasize that even with SWFWMD approval, the data center project would undergo a thorough review process, and no formal requests have been submitted to the commission yet. The project remains in its initial due diligence phase.
