We are excited to announce that our Lewisville data center has now been added to our net positive water portfolio. Lewisville is our first net positive water facility that is leased rather than directly owned by CyrusOne. Although we have less control over leased facilities, we believe it is our responsibility to account for these facilities’ environmental impacts and make reductions where we can.
Overall, our goal is to reach net positive water for all facilities that are in high or extremely high water stress regions. Our methodology consists of three steps: 1) identify facility water stress (using the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas), 2) reduce onsite water usage, and 3) fund restoration through Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Water Restoration Certificates® (WRCs) (Read more about our net positive water methodology here).
Texas is famous for its hot climate and, recently, for extreme weather events such as droughts, so it is no surprise that our Lewisville facility is in a region of extremely high water stress. Once we have identified a facility’s water stress, we prioritize reducing water usage. For Lewisville, we equipped it with water-free cooling technology, significantly limiting our on-site water consumption from the start. Irrigation, domestic water, and fire equipment maintenance are responsible for the small water consumption there. The last step in our methodology is to restore at least 120% of the amount of water we withdraw for the facility to the regional watershed. WRCs purchased for both our Allen, Texas facility and now Lewisville facility help secure water for the San Saba River.
The San Saba River is a scenic waterway that runs through Texas Hill Country beloved by fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. The San Saba is also home to freshwater mussel populations, some of which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed protecting as endangered. Climate change and agriculture have resulted in decreased water flow threatening the survival of these rare mussels and other native inhabitants. BEF and The Nature Conservancy identified an opportunity to reduce agricultural water use during the irrigation season over the summer, which also happens to be when water levels are lowest in our streams, creeks, and rivers. Reducing irrigation during low-flow conditions ultimately reduces water scarcity and sustains essential aquatic habitat for wildlife when they need it most.
With the addition of Lewisville to our net positive water portfolio, we are 40% of the way to our goal, and have reached an exciting milestone: all facilities in extremely high water stress regions have now achieved net positive water status! Not only are we proud to support watersheds in the most vulnerable regions where we operate, but we are grateful to have the opportunity to help protect a special corner of our home state.