SB 1470 — An Act amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in water resources planning, providing for water conservation requirements for data centers.

Summary

Data Center Accountability and Community Protection Package

Bill Text

• Printer's No. 1943 View text Current

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill establishes water conservation requirements specifically for data centers in Pennsylvania.

• Title 27

  § 3118.1. Water conservation requirements for data centers.

  Introduces a new section that mandates water conservation practices for data centers.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(a)

  A data center shall utilize one or more of the following water conservation methods for cooling or other operational water needs: (1) a closed-loop cooling system; (2) reclaimed water; (3) recycled water; or (4) another water conservation technology or practice approved by the department based on best available market technology.

  Requires data centers to adopt specified water conservation methods.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(b)

  The owner of a data center shall submit to the department a plan that establishes compliance with subsection (a). The department shall determine whether a plan satisfies the requirement under subsection (a). The department shall have 30 days from the day of receipt of the plan to provide a determination. The department may extend the 30-day period once by 15 days.

  Establishes a requirement for data centers to submit a compliance plan for approval by the department.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(c)

  If the department determines that the use of a water conservation method under subsection (a)(1), (2) or (3) is not feasible, the data center shall submit an alternative compliance plan to the department and shall pay a large water user mitigation charge to the applicable water service provider. The alternative compliance plan shall include: (1) an explanation of why compliance with subsection (a)(1), (2) or (3) is not feasible; (2) projected daily, monthly and annual water withdrawals, purchases, discharges and consumptive use; (3) proposed water conservation measures; (4) proposed mitigation measures; (5) an analysis of impacts on the applicable water service provider and existing ratepayers or residential well systems; and (6) the proposed payment of a large water user mitigation charge under subsection (d).

  Provides a process for data centers to follow if they cannot comply with the primary water conservation methods.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(d)

  The charge under subsection (c) shall be sufficient to recover all costs attributable to serving the data center, including water supply, treatment, distribution, wastewater, infrastructure construction and maintenance costs. The charge shall ensure that costs attributable to the data center are not shifted to existing ratepayers.

  Establishes a large water user mitigation charge that covers costs associated with serving data centers.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(e)

  A water service provider may not recover from existing residential customers any cost that would not have been incurred but for the water demand or infrastructure requirements of a data center.

  Protects existing ratepayers from costs incurred due to the water demands of data centers.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(f)

  As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Data center." A facility or group of facilities, including an ancillary use or associated structure located on the same tract or parcel of land, that: (1) is predominantly used to house working servers or similar data storage systems; (2) has an uninterruptible energy supply or generator backup power, or both, cooling systems, towers and other temperature control infrastructure; and (3) consumes or is projected to consume or otherwise use more than 100,000 gallons of water per year.

  Defines key terms related to data centers for the application of the new regulations.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(f)

  "Reclaimed water." Treated wastewater used in accordance with applicable guidelines for a beneficial purpose as a substitute for water withdrawn from a surface or groundwater source.

  Provides a definition for reclaimed water as it relates to the water conservation requirements.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(f)

  "Recycled water." Treated wastewater obtained from an application or process that is intended to be used again in the same application or process.

  Defines recycled water for the purposes of the water conservation requirements.

• Title 27 § 3118.1(f)

  "Water service provider." A public water system, municipal authority, municipality, public utility, water company or other entity that supplies water or wastewater service to a data center.

  Defines the role of water service providers in relation to data centers.

Action History

1. September 24, 2026

   Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, Sept. 24, 2026

Sponsors

• Lynda Schlegel Culver · Cosponsor
• Elder A. Vogel · Cosponsor
• Tracy Pennycuick · Primary

Subjects