STRAIGHT ANSWER
Is there a federal law requiring data centers to report water use?
Not yet. H.R. 6984, the Data Center Transparency Act, was introduced in the House on January 8, 2026 and referred to the Energy and Commerce Committee. It would require recurring reports on water, electricity, air quality, and local utility effects. As of the research cutoff it had not been enacted.
The context
Today most public water figures come from voluntary corporate sustainability reports, state utility commission dockets, and local permits, which is why boundaries and years differ from company to company.
What this answer does not say
- That the bill has passed or that reporting is currently required.
- That no reporting exists anywhere; the EU has harmonized data-center reporting rules under Delegated Regulation 2024/1364.