Data Center Facts FAQ

Apricus Reclaimed Water and Data Center Proposal

FAQ Overview

The City of Airway Heights has received a proposal from a project developer, Apricus Energy Partners, to purchase reclaimed water for use in cooling a proposed data center and green hydrogen facility in Spokane County.

The City has met with Apricus to better understand the proposal, which Apricus has called the ‘Big Rock Project,’ but no decisions have been made, and the City has not committed any water resources to the project.

Protecting the community’s water resources and planning responsibly for long-term supply remain top priorities for the City. Any request to use the City’s water resources must undergo careful study to understand potential impacts before any agreements are made. 

More about the proposal

1. What are the specifics of Apricus’ proposal to the City of Airway Heights?

This project is in its very early stages, and questions about its specifics are best answered by Apricus. That said, here’s what we know as it pertains to the concept proposal shared with Airway Heights:

• Apricus Energy Partners proposes to purchase reclaimed water from the City of Airway Heights for use in cooling a proposed data center in Spokane County.
• The company says the reclaimed water may eventually also be used for a hydrogen production plant.
• The current request is for 22,000 gallons per day, but long-term buildout of the hydrogen plant indicates usage may be in the 250,000-300,000 gallon per day range.
• This would involve construction of conveyance and storage infrastructure.
• Apricus has said a new treatment facility could be necessary to ‘polish’ the incoming CAWH wastewater supply.
• Apricus has also mentioned the possibility of a facility to treat leftover reclaimed water after it’s used for cooling and return it to Airway Heights. (This concept has not been part of any discussions so far.)
• Apricus has indicated that it would fund any required project infrastructure.

2. What is the City of Airway Heights role in this project?

• The City’s involvement is limited to Apricus’ request for reclaimed water and any associated infrastructure connected to that reclaimed water supply.
• Because the proposed project is in Spokane County, not Airway Heights, other aspects of the project (e.g., zoning, permitting and the purchase of potable water) would be subject to the policies and decisions of other jurisdictions.
• The City must carefully consider the impacts of providing reclaimed water outside city limits, such as impact on our reclaimed water plan and municipal code, impact on demand for potable water, system improvements, financial impact and more.

3. Has City staff met with Apricus?

City staff have met with the company on several occasions to better understand the request and gather information. No decisions or agreements have been made.

4. Has the City approved anything?

• The City has not approved any sale of reclaimed water, entered into any contracts, or made any commitments related to Apricus’ proposal.
• Airway Heights’ Public Works Committee, made up of three City Council members, reviewed the request and implications for the City. And the full City Council has been briefed.

5. Have any City Council members had conversations with Apricus, and will information about those conversations be released?

• The three Council members on the Public Works Committee have been part of the discovery process for the Apricus proposal and the full Council was briefed on the proposal at an August study session.
• To date, Apricus has not attended a City Council meeting or any other official CAWH meeting. The Council Public Works Committee met with Apricus once, when they presented to the committee.

6. Who would own and operate any infrastructure built for the project?

• No decisions have been made.
• Ownership, operation, maintenance responsibilities, and long-term liabilities would need to be clearly defined before the City considered any agreement.

Community Impacts

7. How would selling reclaimed water to Apricus impact the Airway Heights community?

• We must carefully examine potential impacts on the Airway Heights community. This is why we have solicited a bid from an independent engineering firm with over 20 years of service to the City to conduct a comprehensive, independent feasibility study.
• The study would be paid for by Apricus but would be conducted independently and overseen by CAWH. The study would look closely at issues including available water supply, distribution and storage capacity, conveyance options, legal implications, and cost considerations.
• As a preliminary step, CAWH officials met with their counterparts in cities like Quincy, WA to learn more about their experience with comparable proposals.

8. What would the City gain from the proposal?

• The City is committed to ensuring that any agreement benefits the community. Evaluating potential community benefits is a core part of the independent study plan.
• Generally speaking, community benefits accrue to the community where the facility is located via tax revenues. Because Apricus is proposing only that Airway Heights would provide treated wastewater, the benefits would primarily result from additional utility revenue and utility taxes.
• There could also be a more formal community benefit agreement. This has been discussed, but no proposals or decisions have been made.

9. Where would a pipeline be built? Would there be any land acquisition required?

If a project moves forward, pipeline infrastructure would likely be located within existing public rights-of-way and no land acquisition is anticipated.

10. What about impacts related to pipeline construction, like noise and traffic?

Any potential noise or traffic, impacts would be addressed during the SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) process that Spokane County would oversee for the project.  Infrastructure impacts to the City of Airway Heights system would be assessed as part of the study if it proceeds.

Water Supply and Water Resource Planning

11.  Has Apricus asked to purchase drinking water from Airway Heights?

No. The proposed project site is located within the City of Spokane’s water service area. Any potable water needed for the project would need to be supplied by Spokane, not Airway Heights.

12.  The City of Spokane has a moratorium on data centers. Does this mean they can’t sell water to a data center?

Questions about the City of Spokane’s moratorium and water services are best answered by the City of Spokane.

13.  If the City of Spokane provides drinking water for the project, will there be impacts on Airway Heights’ drinking water supply, since our water comes from the City of Spokane?

CAWH is carefully monitoring this project, including the decisions of other parties involved in the project. We will work to ensure that Airway Heights continues to have safe, reliable and affordable water.

14.  Will my utility rates increase because of this project?

• It’s important to the City to protect the community and ratepayers. The proposed study of this project will closely examine potential cost impacts.
• Any rate adjustments would be a policy change, requiring City Council consideration and public process.

15.  How does this fit into the City’s long-term water planning?

The City is committed to protecting existing water rights and ensuring any decision supports Airway Heights’ long-term water resource planning.

Reclaimed Water

16.  How does the City currently use reclaimed water?

The City operates a reclaimed water system.  The water is the byproduct from its Water Reclamation Plant. The City currently uses the reclaimed water primarily for municipal or commercial irrigation in accordance with its Reclaimed Water System Plan.

Airway Heights has reduced some need for potable water in the community by operating a reclaimed water system that reuses ‘grey’ water for certain civic and commercial purposes.  At this time Airway Heights’ reclaimed water is only used for purposes within City limits.

17. Has anyone besides Apricus approached the City with a proposal to purchase reclaimed water outside Airway Heights’ service area?

As of now, the City has received one other request to purchase its reclaimed water. This request was not related to data centers and did not advance.

18. Would selling reclaimed water to Apricus leave enough for the City’s current and future reclaimed water purposes?

Issues related to long-term water resource planning would be included in the feasibility study.

Environmental Considerations

19.  What happens to water after it is used by the data center?

The proposed Apricus project is located in Spokane County and falls within the City of Spokane’s sewer service area. CAWH would not take back effluent.

20. What are the anticipated environmental impacts of this project?

Because the proposed Apricus project is located in Spokane County, either the County or Apricus would need to answer this question. Airway Heights will continue to monitor the project closely to ensure any impacts on our community are fully understood.

21. If the project moves forward, what is the environmental review process?

Specifics about the project and the environmental review process are best answered by Apricus or Spokane County. Airway Heights will continue to monitor the project closely to ensure any impacts on our community are fully understood.

Vetting

22. Has the City independently vetted Apricus?

At this stage, the City has not conducted any formal review of Apricus’ business operations.

23. What happens if the project stalls or the company dissolves?

Company and project viability are among the many issues that will be explored by the City, should the project advance to the City study stage.

24. Has there been any consultation with area tribes on this project?

At this time, Airway Heights hasn’t engaged in any formal consultation with tribes on this project. If the project advances, the City is committed to appropriate government-to-government engagement.

Public Process

25.  What are the next steps for the City?

• The City has provided its study proposal to Apricus and is waiting for a response.
• If Apricus confirms they wish to proceed, Council approval would be sought to enter into an agreement for the feasibility study and the study would take about a year to be completed.
• After the study is completed, Council will review the information and decide on next steps.

26. What’s the process for the public to weigh in?

The public is welcome to attend our council meetings and provide public comment. You can also send us feedback directly via our website, email or phone.

27. How can the public learn more?

• To learn more about Airway Heights’ Reclaimed Water System Plan, see our website.
• Updates about the Apricus proposal will be provided to Council if funds are made available by Apricus and the study process proceeds.
• The City will keep the public informed of any additional information through Council updates.