In a letter to Congress last month, more than 120 organizations advocating against rushed data center developments warned lawmakers that it’s not enough to focus legislation on addressing spiking electricity bills.
“Water use is equally alarming,” among other harms, groups said.
“In drought-prone regions,” groups explained, data centers consuming up to 5 million gallons a day strain “drinking water supplies, agriculture, and ecosystems.” Meanwhile, closed-loop systems “require the use of toxic chemicals that, if not properly disposed of, can eventually flow and pollute water ways.”
To avoid disastrous consequences for the country’s water supply, groups recommended that Congress pass laws requiring comprehensive environmental reviews prior to construction. They also want Congress to commit to rejecting “any legislation that would fast-track permitting and development for hyperscale, artificial intelligence, and other conventional data centers” through the end of this legislative session.
Some efforts to protect water resources have had limited success, as backlash over secretive deals allowing data center developments without public notice increases.
In Utah, one hyperscale data center in Box Elder County withdrew an application to transfer 1,900 acre-feet of water from a ranch to their facility. About 4,000 residents paid about $15 each to file notices of opposition to block that request, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. But although that battle was won, residents expect the larger fight to be far from over.
As the war against data centers rages on beyond Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune editorial board published an op-ed, warning that officials risk eroding trust the more they shrug off residents’ reasonable concerns about things like water supplies, electric bills, air quality, and quality of life.
“Even if the data center isn’t as dreadful as feared—or if it never is actually built—the stench attached to the rushed and secret political process will take a very long time to dissipate,” the editorial board wrote. “If it ever does.”