WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte)
Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte): Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte). 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 | Charlotte Water | Utility of record |
| Supply source | Catawba River / Lake Norman | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 215 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 03050101. |
| Water rate | $5.20 / 1,000 gal | Charlotte Water published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | Medium (2.6 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 03050101. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Upper Catawba (HUC-8 03050101). 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 | 95 | 67.7% |
| Thermoelectric power | 30 | 21.4% |
| Industrial | 8 | 5.7% |
| Irrigation | 3 | 2.1% |
| Mining | 0.3 | 0.2% |
| Existing data centers | 4 | 2.9% |
| Total | 140.3 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Mecklenburg County NC.
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 | Duke Energy Carolinas | Duke Energy |
| Electric utility | Duke Energy Carolinas | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.5 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 × Duke generation mix (~50% nuclear, 30% gas, balance coal/hydro/solar) |
| Local peak demand | 3,500 MW | Duke Energy |
| Modeled rate impact | 7% to 16% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: Duke nuclear (McGuire) and thermo plants in the Catawba basin contribute meaningfully to Scope 2 water consumption.
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.
Open Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte) in the assessment tool
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
Charlotte metro. Catawba-Wateree interbasin water issues. Duke Energy heavy-nuclear grid.
- Hyperscale activity
Sources: Water: Charlotte Water. Grid: Duke. NC DC 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 |
|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County, NC (Wilmington) | Cape Fear River | Medium (2.4/5) |
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.