Valley Water Commission discusses data center water use today; no vote listed
Staff count about 92 data centers in the county, 20 in San Jose, as the city writes standards for them.
SAN JOSE - The Santa Clara Valley Water Commission will discuss water use at data centers at noon Wednesday, Oct. 28, according to the meeting agenda. The item is for discussion only; no vote is listed.
Santa Clara County has about 92 data centers, 20 of them in San Jose and 58 in Santa Clara, a Valley Water staff presentation says; the staff memo gives about 91. About 14 more are planned in the county.
San Jose is writing standards for data centers and other large energy projects, including water-use rules and ways to rely less on drinking water, according to the staff memo. The city plans to bring proposed standards to the City Council in December 2026.
Valley Water, the county's water wholesaler, has no role in approving data centers and has no water-use figures for them, the memo says. Water retailers bill data centers together with other businesses, industry and institutions. That group uses about 26% of the county's water.
The commission advises the Valley Water board. Its members represent all 15 cities in the county. It meets at 5700 Almaden Expressway and on Zoom.
Source: Valley Water Commission agenda, Oct. 28, 2026, Item 4.1