Cary weighs pause on data centers over water supply concerns

Cary is considering a temporary halt on new data center construction as town leaders weigh whether the fast-growing industry could put new pressure on Jordan Lake, the main source of water for Cary and a critical supply for nearby communities.

At a Thursday night council meeting led by Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush, the discussion went beyond zoning and land use. Bush said Cary has both industrial land and greenfield sites where data centers could be built, but she argued the water implications deserve a closer look before the town allows more projects to move forward. Town attorney Lisa Glover said the first step would be a staff report recommending a timeline for a moratorium, followed by a public hearing and then a later vote.

Nothing changes immediately, but the direction is clear: Cary is moving toward a formal review of how much large-scale industrial growth it can absorb. The concern centers on water demand, especially because Cary’s own water supply page identifies B. Everett Jordan Lake, also called Jordan Reservoir, as the town’s main water source. Water from that reservoir is treated at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility, whose capacity was expanded to 56 million gallons per day in 2018.

That system reaches well beyond Cary. The town provides treated water to Apex, Morrisville, RDU International Airport and the Wake County portion of Research Triangle Park. Any new major water user in Cary could therefore affect more than one municipality, making the debate a regional one as much as a local one. Wake County says Cary, Apex and Morrisville regulate development in the Jordan Lake watershed within their jurisdictions.

Cary’s watershed protection page says the town’s community plan emphasizes conserving water resources and protecting watersheds, including Jordan Lake, to preserve a high-quality supply for the future. That concern is colliding with Cary’s continued push to attract technology-related investment. Hitachi Energy announced on April 2, 2026, that it plans a $10 million Power Electronics Center of Competence in Cary. The 32,000-square-foot facility is expected to create 150 jobs and open in fall 2026, and the company says it will support large-scale energy projects, including AI data centers.

The move in Cary follows similar action elsewhere in central North Carolina. Orange County commissioners approved a one-year pause on large-scale data centers on April 22, 2026, and Chatham County has already adopted a moratorium while it studies best practices, potential impacts and standards. In Cary, residents raised the same basic warning: the town may be moving too quickly, and the next wave of growth should not come at the expense of water supply, watershed protection and long-term utility capacity.