Switch The Rock Campus
Proposed size
185 MW
Site area
69 ac
Buildings
3
Building area
2,000,000 sq ft
Cooling
Closed-loop liquid cooling (PUD-required)
Investment
$0.8B
Developer
Switch, Inc.
Switch purchased land adjacent to Dell Technologies' global headquarters in Round Rock and is building a 1.5-million-square-foot Tier-5 exascale data center campus called "The Rock." The campus will ultimately provide 185 MW across 2 million sq ft. First building expected operational Q2 2026; second at 300 Dell Way under construction; third site at 600 Louis Henna rezoned with no permits filed yet. Total investment of $772 million.
Water Impact
Daily water use (estimated range)
500 – 5K gal/day
Water returned per day
None reported
Per Closed-loop cooling required by PUD; makeup water only. Low estimate = nominal makeup; high estimate = 500 gal/day per MW at <1% open-circuit loss., based on City PUD binding condition per Round Rock zoning approval; closed-loop system confirmed in community reporting.
vs. 5M gal/day (typical 400 MW facility)
The higher estimate is equivalent to the daily water use of approximately 50 households. San Marcos has approximately 25,000 households.
- Water intake
- 500 – 5K gal/day
- Lost to evaporation
- 100%
- Returned to system
- 0% (None reported)
Direct water figures are estimates from permit applications and developer disclosures. Indirect (power generation) figures are calculated estimates. Actual water use depends on technology choices, operating capacity, and weather conditions.
Location
Address: 150-300 Dell Way, Round Rock, Williamson County, TX
Water source: City of Round Rock Water (Colorado River / LCRA basin)
Infrastructure
- Water provider
- City of Round Rock Water
- Power provider
- ERCOT / Oncor
Coming online — watch for expansion applications and compliance
Expansion applications go through the same permit process as the original project. If actual water use already exceeds permitted projections, that's a documented basis for opposing an expansion — or renegotiating conditions.
Timeline
December 1, 2025
City of Round Rock publishes data center transparency page amid community concern
The City of Round Rock published a dedicated "Data Centers in Round Rock" page documenting all nine approved or operational data centers, water use monitoring data, and PUD conditions, responding to growing community pressure as Switch and other developers continued to expand in the city.
Source →(opens in new tab)October 26, 2023
Round Rock City Council approves rezoning for Switch at 600 Louis Henna Blvd
Round Rock City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of 32.48 acres north of Louis Henna Boulevard and east of Greenlawn Boulevard for a third Switch data center building. A separate Chapter 380 economic development agreement had been approved in December 2022, requiring an $80 million investment by 2026.
Source →(opens in new tab)December 1, 2021
Switch begins construction on first building at 150 Dell Way
Switch broke ground on the first building of The Rock campus by end of 2021, consistent with the company's stated target to begin construction before year-end. The first phase at 150 Dell Way is expected to deliver its initial capacity in Q2 2026.
Source →(opens in new tab)July 22, 2021
Round Rock City Council unanimously approves zoning for The Rock campus
Round Rock City Council unanimously approved rezoning of 35.71 acres adjacent to Dell Technologies' headquarters from Commercial C-1 to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), clearing the way for Switch to build its data center campus. The P&Z Commission had recommended approval at a packet meeting July 20.
Source →(opens in new tab)June 1, 2021
Switch announces The Rock campus at Dell Way, Round Rock
Switch, Inc. announced its Fifth Prime data center campus called "The Rock," to be built on land purchased from Dell Technologies adjacent to Dell's global headquarters in Round Rock. The campus will span over 1.5 million square feet of Tier-5 exascale space, representing a $772 million total investment.
Source →(opens in new tab)
Documents
Sources
- 1. Switch Announces Fifth Prime Campus Expansion in Texas — Switch Press Release, 2021-06-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 2. Switch granted planning permission for data center in Round Rock, Texas — Data Center Dynamics, 2021-07-14. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 3. Data Centers in Round Rock — City of Round Rock, 2025-12-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 4. The Data Center Boom Reshaping Williamson County, Texas — Hello Georgetown, 2026-04-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
Community Notes
Round Rock now has nine approved or operational data centers. Community opposition has grown significantly since 2025. Closed-loop cooling required by PUD reduces potable water consumption compared to evaporative towers. Oncor must confirm grid capacity before construction can proceed.