WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Grant County, WA (Quincy)
Grant County, WA (Quincy): Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Grant County, WA (Quincy). 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 | Grant PUD | Utility of record |
| Supply source | Columbia River | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 25 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 17020013. Columbia abundance. |
| Water rate | $2.50 / 1,000 gal | Grant PUD published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | Low (1.5 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 17020013. Columbia abundance. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Lower Crab (HUC-8 17020013). 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 | 6 | 2.1% |
| Thermoelectric power | 2 | 0.7% |
| Industrial | 8 | 2.9% |
| Irrigation | 250 | 89.1% |
| Mining | 0.5 | 0.2% |
| Existing data centers | 14 | 5.0% |
| Total | 280.5 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Grant County. Existing DC: Microsoft + Yahoo Quincy cluster.
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 | BPA / Northwest | BPA |
| Electric utility | Grant PUD | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.1 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 × BPA hydro-dominant mix. Reservoir-evaporation attribution intentionally conservative; see methodology §3. |
| Local peak demand | 1,100 MW | BPA |
| Modeled rate impact | 3% to 8% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: BPA hydro generation is in-basin (Grand Coulee, Wanapum). Reservoir evaporation attribution is methodologically contested; we use a conservative low value.
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
Quincy — Microsoft, Yahoo cluster. Columbia River + Grand Coulee hydro. Abundant water, cheap clean power. State DC tax incentive exists with conditions.
- Hyperscale activity
- Cool climate
- Renewable-heavy grid
Sources: Water: Grant PUD + Columbia. Grid: BPA hydro. RCW 82.08.986.
Comparative siting scores for this county, alongside every other county tracked, are on the US Siting Matrix.
Related counties
| County | Water source | Watershed stress |
|---|---|---|
| Umatilla County, OR (Hermiston / Boardman) | Columbia River + Umatilla | Low (1.8/5) |
| Morrow County, OR (Boardman) | Columbia River | Low (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.