WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Davidson County, TN (Nashville)
Davidson County, TN (Nashville): Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Davidson County, TN (Nashville). Every figure below is a stored value with its primary source attached. Facility-scale results are produced by the assessment tool.
Water supply
| Metric | Value | Source / basis |
|---|---|---|
| Water utility | Metro Water Services | Utility of record |
| Supply source | Cumberland River | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 180 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 05130202. Utility: Metro Water Services. |
| Water rate | $5.50 / 1,000 gal | Metro Water Services published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | Low-Medium (2 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 05130202. Utility: Metro Water Services. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Lower Cumberland (HUC-8 05130202). Figures are consumptive use, not withdrawal, because evaporative data center loss is consumptive. USGS data year 2020.
| Category | Consumptive use (MGD) | Share of basin |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | 70 | 66.4% |
| Thermoelectric power | 15 | 14.2% |
| Industrial | 12 | 11.4% |
| Irrigation | 4 | 3.8% |
| Mining | 0.5 | 0.5% |
| Existing data centers | 4 | 3.8% |
| Total | 105.5 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Davidson County.
Grid generation water (Scope 2)
Generating the electricity a data center consumes evaporates water at the power plant. That volume is real, it is attributable, and it is excluded from most corporate "water positive" accounting. On a thermal grid it is frequently comparable to the facility's own cooling water.
| Metric | Value | Source / basis |
|---|---|---|
| Grid region | TVA | TVA |
| Electric utility | Nashville Electric Service (NES) / TVA | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.44 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 × TVA generation mix (~42% nuclear, 31% gas, 14% coal, 9% hydro, balance other) per TVA |
| Local peak demand | 2,400 MW | TVA |
| Modeled rate impact | 6% to 14% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: TVA generation includes plants in the Cumberland basin (Cumberland Fossil, Gallatin) — meaningful share of Scope 2 water consumed locally.
Run this county at your facility size. The assessment tool computes direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) water for a specific load, cooling system, and mitigation stack, with the same citations attached.
Reducing the footprint here
A high stress reading is a design constraint, not a verdict. Closed-loop and dry or hybrid cooling, adiabatic assist, immersion, and reclaimed or non-potable sourcing each move the direct number, and siting against a cleaner grid mix moves the indirect number. The solutions catalog lists each option with its water reduction, its energy and cost tradeoff, and its source.
Regulatory and siting status
Nashville. TVA grid mixes nuclear, gas, hydro, coal. State very business-friendly. High summer wet-bulb is a free-cooling penalty.
- Hyperscale activity
Sources: Water: Metro Water Services. Grid: TVA. Incentives: TN DC sales tax exemption.
Comparative siting scores for this county, alongside every other county tracked, are on the US Siting Matrix.
Related counties
| County | Water source | Watershed stress |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, TN (Memphis) | Memphis Sand aquifer (groundwater) | Low-Medium (1.6/5) |
How these numbers are derived
Assumptions, formulas, and the full source list are in the methodology. WaterMark is published by Standard Water Corp and is not affiliated with any data center developer, utility, or government agency.