Weld County Resident Raises Water Concerns Over Proposed Data Center

A Weld County resident has voiced concerns in a letter to the Greeley Tribune regarding the water usage of a proposed data center, emphasizing the already strained water resources in the region due to low snowpack and drought. The writer, an artificial intelligence user, acknowledges the value of AI but stresses the importance of responsible development, particularly concerning the cooling systems employed by data centers. The resident highlights that evaporative cooling systems consume significant amounts of water, while modern closed-loop systems use very little. They are calling on project developers and local officials to provide public transparency on projected annual water use, the water source, and the cooling design before any final approvals or expansion phases proceed. Without this information, residents are asked to accept unknown long-term environmental impacts. While supporting economic growth and new technology, the resident believes development must align with environmental realities. They suggest that investing in low-water cooling systems would reduce long-term strain and create jobs, leading to a win-win scenario that supports both innovation and responsible growth, ultimately preventing future conflicts.