East Bay Times Readers Weigh In on Education, Taxes and Data Center Water Use
A reader letter warns that expanding AI data centers could strain local water supplies and harm marine ecosystems, particularly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. The writer cites a UC Berkeley report estimating that facilities may use 18,000 to 550,000 gallons of water per day and urges voters to reject Proposition 45.
An East Bay Times reader argues that the expansion of AI data centers in California could worsen water-supply pressures and transfer thermal pollution into marine ecosystems. The letter focuses on facilities in and around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where data centers may use local water for cooling.
The writer cites a February 2026 report from UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment estimating daily water use of 18,000 to 550,000 gallons per facility, depending on size. The letter calls for stronger environmental protections and urges voters to reject Proposition 45, which the writer says could bypass restrictions on infrastructure construction in protected areas.