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June 22, 2026
Data center in Pennsylvania seeks approval to discharge cooling water into Susquehanna River
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. — A data center in northeastern Pennsylvania is seeking approval from the state to discharge used cooling water into the Susquehanna River.
The facility is owned by Amazon Data Services Inc., located in Luzerne County near the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant.
Amazon is requesting a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection to discharge cooling water used to regulate the temperatures of equipment inside the data center.
According to the application, the water would be discharged on a continuous, but intermittent basis.
Amazon plans to construct a campus of 15 data centers on approximately 1,600 acres of land near the power plant in Salem Township.
The section of the river where the water would be discharged is classified as a warm water fishery by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.
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Concerns have been raised about the temperature of the water being discharged and the impact on aquatic life and the lowering of dissolved oxygen in the river, especially during periods of low water levels.
If the discharge causes a decrease in dissolved oxygen, critics worry it could cause fish kills in the river.
The Fish & Boat Commission does provide resource specific comments to DEP permit reviewers. In a statement from the commission, the agency has not seen or reviewed any permits for water discharge from Amazon’s Salem Township data center facility.
“We do have a general concern with data center development and their use of water for cooling as well as the water needed to generate mass amounts of energy consumed by the centers,” according to a commission statement.
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission has approved a consumptive use for the data center project. The water source will be from a well on the site, and the 30-day average consumptive use is limited to 60,000 gallons per day.
Recently, Amazon filed for a modification to increase the consumptive use limit from 60,000 gallons daily to 277,000 gallons daily. The application is pending a March 12 Susquehanna River Basin Commission business meeting.
According to the river basin commission, hyperscale data centers are the newest generation of data centers and they require large amounts of water to cool their servers. Hyperscale data centers have the potential to be one of the largest consumers of water in the Susquehanna River basin, along with power plants.
Other data center projects throughout the state are also sourcing significant volumes of water to cool the facilities. The Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus in Lackawanna County plans to use a maximum of 3.3 million gallons of water daily for its proposed 14 data centers
The daily average water usage for the project could be as low as 598,000 gallons, with higher usage rates during the summer when temperatures are hottest.
Other proposed data center campuses in Lackawanna County are considering sourcing water from Lake Scranton and possibly the existing mine pool aquifer.
As far as the Susquehanna River basin, it has approved water use for only one data center project – Amazon in Salem Township. Three others are pending the river basin commission’ approval – all located in Luzerne County.
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- Tags: Fishing, Nature, Pennsylvania
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23 thoughts on “Data center in Pennsylvania seeks approval to discharge cooling water into Susquehanna River”
The water and energy consumption by data centers is amazing. And for what?? So that AI can tell me three different versions of the same story and not have to tell me if it’s true or not?? Water is a precious commodity, and the volume needed should have be a major concern for all involved, including neighboring residents who’s wells may be impacted by the centers.
Not much data to go on. How much warmer is the water discharge than the rivier temperature? How many gallons of water flow hourly through the river in summer when the hottest air te,peratures exist?
Does Amazon plan on cooling ponds to reduce heat before discharging the water?
I would think these conditions need esplored before aggreements can be pursued.
No discharge into the flowing river.
These data centers should be required to use geothermal … they would use the same water over and over …
No discharge. No chemicals. Amazon can fly them to the moon now. Leave our river ALONE!
The Data centers should be stopped. Why does there have to be one in every county or why at all since they harm our environment?
And yes if its for AI why do even need Artificial intelligence?
How polluted will the water be? What chemicals will likely be discharged? How will PFAS be measured/excluded?
Let’s just throw away these damn phones
Great comments so far. Agreed on all points.
I am praying to our Creator for the strength and wisdom to do what I can to help make a difference in this world…The Susquehanna river is where my Native ancestors lived and thrived. We can’t just stand by and watch something like this happen. Creator, please help us save our beautiful River!! AMEN
If they need water for cooling they need to be able to recycle the water and clean the water before it would be put back into the river. Otherwise they need to be made geothermal in a sense that they recycle an amount of water that is initially taken. The amount of harm on the environment shouldn’t be disregarded. They are a large corporation and the can find ways to crunch there numbers and get systems that are environmentally friendly. Hold them accountable for what they want to create.
That’s the smartest, least reactionary comment I’ve read. That article only states that the water will be a different temperature going back into the river. And people who are against these things are worried about oxygen levels. That tells us nothing except certain people worry. Also the river around lanc co flows at 40-50,000 cubic feet per second! That’s 2.7 million gallons per minute! So all the data centers on that whole campus will add an extra minute and a half’s worth of water flow over the course of a day! Doesn’t seem like much to get all excited about. The amount of electricity consumed by the data centers is the real problem. They should be required to build their own, green, power sources. I’m just sayin’.
Totally !!!
There has to be a better way to do this.
If it IS just to cool things, then why will it pollute at all.
I need to gain a lot more knowledge on this subject in general.
This stuff really did just pop up out of the blue, and I’m sure everything possible is being deregulated at alarming rates.
ESPECIALLY with this administration.
I hope our Governor doesn’t completely tarnish his name by giving these corporate entities everything they want.
I did hear the idea of putting them in space ???
I know space within our atmosphere is getting overloaded too though, but, anything is hopefully better then destroying the environment.
This is too much too soon.
We lived good lives for this long without AI, why not pause for better ideas ??!
I’m intrigued as much as anyone by technology and I do know scientific horizons will come, but at what cost ???
I hope things don’t just get trampled so billionaires can make billions more as we choke on their aftermath…
Celebrate Authority, Question Diversity will be our downfall !!!!!
:-/
John Snyder
Well Said Darla! I agree on geothermal. It is a closed loop system and utilizes natural cooling from underground. No need to discharge anything into the SusQ river!
Don’t do this our children and animals have recreation one on these areas and based off of these landmarks and vegetation and wildlife alone will die off then it will start to migrate inwards especially when properties flood and agriculture is affected we are then faced with pollution illness upon many other concerns why are we entertaining this idea?
I say no! Let the river alone, leave our fish alone, leave our wildlife alone.
This will not be good for the fish and environment! Rapid cooling of the river will disrupt the whole ecosystem.
Totally !!!
There has to be a better way to do this.
If it IS just to cool things, then why will it pollute at all.
I need to gain a lot more knowledge on this subject in general.
This stuff really did just pop up out of the blue, and I’m sure everything possible is being deregulated at alarming rates.
ESPECIALLY with this administration.
I hope our Governor doesn’t completely tarnish his name by giving these corporate entities everything they want.
I did hear the idea of putting them in space ???
I know space within our atmosphere is getting overloaded too though, but, anything is hopefully better then destroying the environment.
This is too much too soon.
We lived good lives for this long without AI, why not pause for better ideas ??!
I’m intrigued as much as anyone by technology and I do know scientific horizons will come, but at what cost ???
I hope things don’t just get trampled so billionaires can make billions more as we choke on their aftermath…
Celebrate Authority, Question Diversity will be our downfall !!!!!
:-/
I am 100% ANTI-Data centers as far as the river is concerned. Generations of my family were raised along the West Branch, and many of us still live along this beauty. We are being inundated with Data centers along our branch of the Susquehanna as well, and to what end? We have fought sewage going to our rivers, at least that’s bio degradable. Allowing this would’ve absolutely devastating to our lives and generations that aren’t even born yet. Crops will be affected, wildlife, livestock, the list is endless. Why would we want our beautiful safe valley to become the love canal????! NO! We as a ppl have to ban together and fight this before it’s devastating. NO NO NO DATA CENTERS messing with the river. And if your so computer and AI savvy, why can’t you figure out how to cool these without our water????
Think about that!!
No thanks
Please don’t let this happen. The people in power obviously lost what it was like to be a human. We can’t survive without the earth and there are cities around in different states in water crisis please don’t let this happen. Don’t you all want your children to have children?
It’s not water. Its fluid. Different places say “cooling chemistry” “cooling system” “cooling fluid” When marketing to Data centers – they are calling it something… and then when asking to dump it in drinking water, they are calling it water….
https://www3.brenntag.com/en-us/dc/google-data-center-cooling/sea/?creative=795528616734&keyword=data%20center%20cooling%20fluids&matchtype=p&network=g&device=c&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23522803391&gbraid=0AAAAAD1TWZBuKJLj6zLN3JATt_I_aizHo&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi8nRBhDhARIsAHZf_pbAXEp-FdvaGnheCZ_tYAjDWXp6bVElGXOtdJlHdycOKvv7DamTO3caAjVxEALw_wcB
The people that live here never voted for data centers. We never received transparent information on the detriment they will cause to our communities, wildlife and eco systems. There are very few people in PA government that are willing to protect our interests on both sides of the aisle and we are sick of it. We don’t want data centers, we don’t want our water polluted, used to cool equipment while our rates go up and we’re told to conserve. Same with electricity. We don’t want wildlife filtering into the towns and causing car damage, home damage because you destroyed their habitat. Technology should be getting smaller, not taking over.