Scottsdale Advances Water-Use Ordinance, Reviews Data Centers

Scottsdale City Council advanced an initiative for an ordinance addressing large water users, while Mayor Lisa Borowsky led an effort to review development standards for data centers, according to a June 24 announcement.

The two actions put water-use policy and data-center development under review as Scottsdale considers how future growth could affect demand for water. The large-water-user initiative could shape requirements for future high-water-use development, while the standards review concerns how data-center projects are evaluated in the city.

What happens next

The city’s review of data-center development standards is the next identified step. The announcement did not specify which standards are being examined. It also did not state the final text of the proposed large-water-user ordinance, an enactment date or the council vote tally, so the initiative should not be treated as an enacted law.

Mayor Borowsky and the council are the identified city officials leading the two policy actions. Any future ordinance or revised development standards could affect the approval and planning of projects with substantial water demand, including data centers, but the announcement did not describe specific thresholds or restrictions.