California Will Soon Have More Than 300 Data Centers. Where Will They Get Their Water?

A significant 330-megawatt data center, proposed by developer Sebastian Rucci for Imperial, California, is facing substantial local opposition and a lawsuit from the City of Imperial. The facility, expected to be one of the largest in the state upon completion by 2028, would require an estimated 750,000 gallons of water daily, raising alarm among residents like Margie Padilla, who worry about rising utility costs and water restrictions amidst a deepening Southwestern megadrought. Rucci, who has purchased 235 acres for the project, insists studies confirm that the region's air, water, and electricity resources can handle the demand without increasing costs. He has proposed using 6 million gallons per day of reclaimed water from Imperial and El Centro but is also considering purchasing water from the Imperial Irrigation District. Google, a company Rucci claimed would use the center for AI training, has denied any involvement. The City of Imperial has filed a lawsuit against the project, demanding it clear higher environmental hurdles, specifically under the California Environmental Quality Act. The local water district is also reviewing the project. Experts from the University of California, Riverside, like Shaolei Ren, underscore the infrastructure challenges posed by data centers' water and electricity demands, noting California doesn't require AI data centers to report water usage, complicating resource planning. With the next court date set for late April, the debate continues over the environmental and economic impacts of this and two dozen other data centers planned for California.