Arizona water officials approve wells tied to Project Blue data center
Arizona water officials have approved groundwater well permits for the Project Blue data center in Pima County. This decision by the Arizona Department of Water Resources allows Bobcat Tucson Water LLC, tied to developer Beale Infrastructure, to use up to 31 million gallons of water annually, after the City of Tucson had previously rejected the project's use of city water resources. The facility plans to operate as a closed-loop air-cooled system and use on-site wells for potable and fire suppression purposes.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has granted groundwater well permits to Bobcat Tucson Water LLC, an entity associated with Beale Infrastructure, the developer of the Project Blue data center currently under construction in Pima County, Arizona.
This approval allows the facility to potentially use up to 31 million gallons of water annually (96.50 acre-feet per year) from two new commercial wells. Doug MacEachern, spokesperson for ADWR, confirmed the wells were approved under three existing legal groundwater rights agreements, requiring Bobcat Tucson Water LLC to report its usage annually. The developer plans for the data center to operate as a closed-loop air-cooled facility, with on-site wells primarily supplying water for potable and fire suppression needs, which officials with Beale estimate to be 15,000 to 20,000 gallons per day once fully operational.
The approval comes after the City of Tucson unanimously rejected the project in August, including the use of city water resources. Tucson City Manager Tim Thomure later revoked a temporary water meter issued to Ames Construction, a contractor for Project Blue, which had been used for dust control. Despite the city's opposition, the Pima County Board of Supervisors had approved the project in June. Bobcat Tucson Water LLC and Bobcat B1 LLC, which closed on the 290-acre land sale, registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission in December.