Tucson cuts off water access to Project Blue subcontractor

The City of Tucson has halted water access for Ames Construction, a subcontractor involved in the development of the Project Blue data center near the Pima County Fairgrounds. The city accused Ames Construction, hired by Beale Infrastructure, of misusing Tucson Water. According to the city, Ames Construction secured authorization to use Tucson Water without specifying it was for the Project Blue site. It was subsequently discovered that the subcontractor utilized 2-acre feet of city water outside the city's designated service delivery area for dust control at the data center construction site. This action directly contradicted the City of Tucson's previously stated position that it would not supply water for Project Blue and had communicated this clearly to Beale Infrastructure. In response to the alleged misuse, the city is demanding that Beale Infrastructure return 2-acre feet of water credits, an amount comparable to the annual water consumption of two to four residential homes. The issue came to light following an inquiry from a resident to a Ward 4 staffer, prompting a city investigation. Beale Infrastructure had not responded to requests for comment as of Tuesday night.