WaterMark / Jurisdictions / Prince George's County, MD
Prince George's County, MD: Data Center Water Impact
Reference data for evaluating a data center proposal in Prince George's County, MD. 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 | WSSC Water | Utility of record |
| Supply source | Potomac River | Utility of record |
| Treatment capacity | 170 MGD | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 basin 02070010. Utility data: WSSC Water 2024 Annual Report. |
| Water rate | $9.80 / 1,000 gal | WSSC Water published rate schedule |
| Watershed stress | High (3.4 / 5) | Water stress: WRI Aqueduct 4.0, HUC-8 basin 02070010. Utility data: WSSC Water 2024 Annual Report. |
Watershed consumptive use
Basin: Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan (HUC-8 02070010). 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 | 8 | 26.2% |
| Thermoelectric power | 18 | 59.0% |
| Industrial | 1.5 | 4.9% |
| Irrigation | 1.8 | 5.9% |
| Mining | 0.2 | 0.7% |
| Existing data centers | 1 | 3.3% |
| Total | 30.5 | 100.0% |
Total is the sum of the categories listed above. Shares are each category divided by that total. Source: USGS Water Use 2020, Prince George's County. Data center segment per ICPRB Data Center Report (March 2026).
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 | PJM Interconnection | PJM |
| Electric utility | PEPCO | Utility of record |
| Grid water intensity | 0.42 gal / kWh | Macknick et al. 2012 consumption factors, weighted by PJM GATS EY2024 generation mix |
| Local peak demand | 1,700 MW | PJM |
| Modeled rate impact | 12% to 22% | See methodology |
Where this water is consumed: PJM grid plants serving PG County are distributed across MD, VA, PA, OH and WV. Indirect (Scope 2) water consumed at those plants is not in the local Potomac 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
Two-year Council moratorium adopted 7 July 2026; County Executive permitting pause extended through 30 September 2026. ICPRB warns of cumulative Potomac stress. WSSC Water capacity tightening.
- Moratorium or permit hold
- Actively tracked by WaterMark
Sources: Water: WSSC. ICPRB March 2026 report. Moratorium: Council vote, 7 Jul 2026; PG County Executive Order (extended to 30 Sep 2026).
Comparative siting scores for this county, alongside every other county tracked, are on the US Siting Matrix.
Related counties
| County | Water source | Watershed stress |
|---|---|---|
| Charles County, MD | Potomac River + groundwater | Medium-High (2.8/5) |
| Loudoun County, VA | Potomac River / Goose Creek Reservoir | High (3.4/5) |
| Prince William County, VA | Occoquan Reservoir | High (3.4/5) |
| Henrico County, VA | James River | Medium (2.6/5) |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | Roanoke River / Buggs Island Lake | Low-Medium (1.8/5) |
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.