This is just plain stupid, why would you use city water to cool anything? Cooling water does not need to be potable. In the rush to be first or biggest or such so often good practices get ignore over what is just easy no matter the waste. City governments are so happy for commerce and growth they don't bother to properly manage or regulate. If the cooling were between the wells and the water treatment plant and not evaporative but instead radiative/convective no water would be lost. Alternately it could be on the other end of the water supply chain and be grey water from sewage treatment.

TEK