Rockwall, TX Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Industrial L10 limit
- 85 dBA at property line
- Industrial L90 limit
- 75 dBA at property line
- Measured
- At the property boundary
- Enforcement
- Chief of police, class C misdemeanor
- Measurement window
- 10 to 30 minutes
Summary
Rockwall caps stationary industrial noise, the category data centers fall under, at 85 dBA daytime and 75 dBA at night measured at the property boundary.
It shall be a violation of this article for any person to operate or permit to be operated any stationary source of sound which creates a unit percentile sound level (L 1) greater than 15 dbA above the ambient sound pressure level (L 90) as set forth in the table below in any residential use zone, or creates a tenth percentile sound level (L 10) or a 90th percentile sound level (L 90) which exceeds the limits set forth in the table below for the receiving land use districts when measured at the property boundary.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Rockwall's citywide noise ordinance treats a data center as a stationary sound source in the industrial land-use district. Section 16-184 sets a tenth-percentile (L10) limit of 85 dBA and a 90th-percentile/ambient (L90) limit of 75 dBA at the receiving property boundary, applied around the clock in industrial areas. The police chief measures with a Type II sound meter over a 10-to-30-minute period and can order noise attenuation under Section 16-187.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the industrial dBA limits is a class C misdemeanor citation; the chief of police can also issue an abatement order requiring attenuation measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rockwall have a noise rule specific to data centers?
How loud can a Rockwall data center be at the fence line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockwall
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Rockwall to another location·View the Texas data centers & crypto mining overview
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