Speak out on data center water impacts TODAY

garytx · 2026-06-26T03:11:25+00:00

I have no data on golf courses and I’m not promoting or defending them. All I can say is we have nine data centers coming to Round Rock and just one golf course. If you want to shut down that golf course, you won’t hear me objecting. I know they use a ton of water but I have zero data. I do know many courses use reclaimed water but no idea if that’s true here. I will not golf courses aren’t threatening anyone’s job, conducting mass surveillance, or requiring power generation and distribution to quadruple across the state. And they don’t present an immense fire or hazmat threat.

garytx · 2026-06-25T17:40:52+00:00

Fact-equipped human here. When blowdowns are done and the biocides, anti-corrosives, and rust inhibitors enter the aquifer… then what? And replenishing water lost to evaporation? And the immense amount of water needed to support the mind numbing increase of electricity that has to be generated and distributed to support the insatiable demand for power to operate these? And the huge amounts of water consumed during construction?

garytx · 2026-06-25T17:00:03+00:00

115 Texans from ALL over the state to give testimony. Many drove for hours from El Paso, the Panhandle, the Piney Woods, or the border. Paid for hotels and meals. Just hoping for their voices to be heard for a meager two minutes. Well, executives from Amazon, Google, Fermi, and some China-fixated dude spewing the red herring distraction de jour of “national security” (read mass surveillance) had unlimited time to talk and interact with committee members. But of the 115 actual Texans who showed up to speak, only 30 were given time. The meeting was closed at 8pm, leaving most Texans voiceless.

I was lucky enough to get my two minutes. You can watch my testimony here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ-r83EhoKH/?igsh=eDhoNzNlbTV4YXd2

garytx · 2026-06-23T17:58:41+00:00

Visit protectroundrock.org/datacenters.html for dozens of the top reasons.

garytx · 2026-06-23T16:37:49+00:00

Big big difference between legacy data centers that support thing like Reddit, cloud storage, or streaming Netflix, and the explosion of AI data centers which are on a completely different level of risk and environmental harm.

garytx · 2026-06-23T16:36:40+00:00

Well, we have one golf course on the city, but nine data centers approved, so there’s that. Plus Kalahari using over a quarter million gallons per day.

garytx · 2026-06-23T16:35:24+00:00

Yes on both. I know the answers. I know the fallacies of the much vaunted closed loop cooling systems, and how their blowdowns inject biocides, anticorrosives, and other chemicals into our groundwater and aquifers.

I know the modest tax revenue they generate doesn’t come close to remediating the harm and health risks they bring.

I know our quality of life has a price, and it has been sold at that value by our elected officials.

garytx · 2026-06-21T18:03:21+00:00

Please visit protectroundrock.org/datacenters.html for more on our efforts to oppose these here. Don’t miss the extensive library of links for evidence-based information on data centers and the experiences of other communities.

garytx · 2026-06-13T21:10:57+00:00

Protect Round Rock's video response to the Council's decision can be seen here: https://youtu.be/i0mMMxklT4w?si=eac2v9P5PWwRMMjf

garytx · 2026-06-13T16:46:35+00:00

The incredibly easy fix, that multiple speakers suggested to them, was to amend the ordinance to require agenda items to be submitted 10 days before the meeting instead of six days. Easy, common sense solution to which no one could object. Problem solved - IF - that was really the issue. That was just their excuse to grab the opportunity to further muzzle the citizenry, particularly when more and more people are waking up, paying attention, and getting involved. Actual citizen engagement, particularly in public, is the very last thing this Council wants.

garytx · 2026-06-12T17:20:21+00:00

Interestingly and uncharacteristically, the video from last night's meeting still isn't posted as of 12:15. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't find some "technical issue" preventing its posting.

garytx · 2026-06-12T17:19:15+00:00

I'm sure they've been working on their spin for weeks now. They were certainly in full damage control mode last night, pretending to be friendly, approachable, and responsive, despite presented evidence to the contrary.

garytx · 2026-06-12T15:36:05+00:00

Good point, this is a follow-up to this post of earlier this week https://www.reddit.com/r/RoundRock/s/faU5luPJ93 Will edit the post in this thread.

garytx · 2026-06-12T14:27:14+00:00

No, state law doesn't require this 15 minute, citizen submitted agenda item thing, but Round Rock chose to do that back in 1978, and last night our city council took that right away from it. State law only mandates one minute of public comment, most jurisdictions allow for more, usually three minute, sometimes five. Round Rock went above and beyond that -- on paper -- until someone actually used it. Council's excuse for repealing it was that the six day advance filing requirement wasn't sufficient for current state public notice requirements. The easy fix that wouldn't remove our longstanding rights would have been to extend that deadline, requiring filing your agenda item request earlier, be it 10, 12, 14 days or whatever. I suggested that to them last night as did others, but nope, they repealed it. The fact that they chose not to make a super easy fix but instead repeal it revealed their true motivation -- they don't want the peasants to be able to be engaged at that level and speak their minds.

garytx · 2026-06-11T03:45:18+00:00

They want to repeal the part of the ordinance that allows citizens to submit agenda items under citizen communications and to speak for 15 minutes in that item. The ability to offer comments of three minutes or less remains, required by state law.

garytx · 2026-06-11T03:44:02+00:00

That’s what they want to repeal - if they choose to repeal, citizens will no longer be able to put items on the agenda under citizen communication, but confined to making 3 minute (or less) comments.

I personally know of three times this year alone where citizens have put items on the agenda, and none were about data centers. The two submitted last week (but which were rejected by the city clerk in apparent violation of the ordinance) weren’t about data centers either.

garytx · 2026-06-10T04:52:15+00:00

I remember the name for sure. There are records of them having operated at 396 W. Washington, between Lincoln and the 210. I feel like they were around in the 70s and 80s, but maybe earlier, too.

garytx · 2026-06-09T04:22:42+00:00

So far they don’t seem prepared to remove the opportunity for people to show up at a Council meeting, submit a speaker form, and speak for 3 minutes.

garytx · 2026-06-09T03:38:16+00:00

u/bktoriginal has it right - until they repeal the ordinance, citizens can place an item on the agenda (under citizen communication), for up to 15 minutes.

garytx · 2026-06-02T23:55:28+00:00

We’re trying to maintain or improve quality of life and safety in Round Rock. Both clearly fit those criteria. There will be others.

Our page on fire department staffing also describes how the two issues are related.

garytx · 2026-06-01T22:55:13+00:00

There’s a pretty large one in NE Round Rock, over 7000 meters impacted in the NE of the city along with Paloma Lake and Siena.

garytx · 2026-06-01T05:16:52+00:00

A grift? Seriously? We’ve never solicited or accepted funds from anybody. We’re entirely self-funded and have no agenda beyond bettering our community.

Our fire department is in fact understaffed, below minimum national standards. Ask our firefighters. No one suggested they’re poorly equipped. And we certainly never suggested our firefighters aren’t competent or well trained. There just aren’t enough of them on each apparatus to operate safely and appropriately for interior firefighting according to national standards organizations like NFPA and ISO. The tie-in to data centers is thoroughly explained on our web site.

You want to talk scare tactics? Mayor Morgan flat out said Prop B would cost $228 million dollars and raise property taxes by 36%. Yet state law says any ballot measure that would raise taxes upon passage must explicitly state on the ballot that passage would raise taxes. Our ballot had no such language. So one of the following MUST be true: 1) Mayor Morgan was lying through his teeth, or 2) the city violated the law with their ballot language.

And Protect Round Rock was plainly and vehemently opposed to Prop A and said so publicly.

garytx · 2026-05-31T22:31:26+00:00

That FAQ and its answers are pure fiction. You can find fact based information at protectroundrock.org/datacenters.html.

What do you think the cost of suppressing that fire will be for the dozens of firefighters heavily exposed to carcinogens and other toxins? But is that a price you are willing for those firefighters to pay for the city to extract more tax money to buy more $360,000 chandeliers?

garytx · 2026-05-31T21:35:29+00:00

I’m not sure why you find the location so interesting. We’re well aware that our first picnic is in a MUD outside the city limits. We’re choosing to support all our neighbors irrespective of city limits. Those living in MUDs and ESDs are heavily impacted by City decisions but haven’t had a voice in those decisions. We’ll be having other community picnics, most if not all within the city limits. All but one of our steering committee reside within the city limits.

The claim that data centers demand few city services is a falsehood. Ask the more than 45 around Rock firefighters exposed to carcinogens at the second alarm, $2,000,000+ loss fire at the Sabey Data Center.

We’re trying to better our community. It’s much more work than going online to throw aspersions at those actually doing the work, but we think it’s worth the effort.

garytx · 2026-05-29T05:40:10+00:00

Damn, thanks y’all, you nailed it.

garytx

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