Council Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee: Data Center Policy

The City of Columbus Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee held a meeting on July 23, 2026, focused on data center policy and lead service line replacement programs. The committee discussed the city's efforts to comply with the EPA's lead and copper rule by replacing all lead and galvanized service lines by 2037, including budget considerations and program adjustments based on a pilot project. A significant portion of the meeting centered on proposed regulations for data centers, addressing concerns about water consumption, sewer capacity, environmental impacts, and community engagement. Draft policies under consideration included water conservation and reuse, sewer tapping requirements, decommissioning plans, and community benefits agreements. Public testimony overwhelmingly expressed concerns about the environmental, health, and economic impacts of data centers, urging stronger enforcement, moratoriums on new data center construction, prohibitions on tax abatements, and requirements for renewable energy use. The committee acknowledged the complexity of regulating rapidly evolving data center technologies and committed to ongoing public engagement and policy refinement. A follow-up hearing was scheduled for September 16, 2026.