WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Gwinnett County, GA
Gwinnett County, GA: Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Gwinnett County, GA. 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 | Gwinnett County DWR | Utility of record |
| Supply source | Lake Lanier (Chattahoochee) | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 130 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 03130001. Same Lake Lanier supply pressure as Fulton. |
| Water rate | $6.50 / 1,000 gal | Gwinnett County DWR published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | High (3.8 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 03130001. Same Lake Lanier supply pressure as Fulton. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Upper Chattahoochee (HUC-8 03130001). 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 | 65 | 69.7% |
| Thermoelectric power | 12 | 12.9% |
| Industrial | 8 | 8.6% |
| Irrigation | 3 | 3.2% |
| Mining | 0.2 | 0.2% |
| Existing data centers | 5 | 5.4% |
| Total | 93.2 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Gwinnett 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 | Southern (GA Power) | Georgia Power |
| Electric utility | Georgia Power | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.4 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 × GA Power generation mix |
| Local peak demand | 2,400 MW | Georgia Power |
| Modeled rate impact | 6% to 14% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: Same as Fulton — GA Power generation in or near the basin.
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
Atlanta NE suburbs. Gwinnett aggressively recruits DCs. Same Lanier supply pressure as Fulton.
- Hyperscale activity
Sources: Water: Gwinnett DWR. Grid: Georgia Power.
Comparative siting scores for this county, alongside every other county tracked, are on the US Siting Matrix.
Related counties
| County | Water source | Watershed stress |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta) | Chattahoochee River / Lake Lanier | High (3.8/5) |
| DeKalb County, GA | Chattahoochee + reservoirs | High (3.8/5) |
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.