California will soon have more than 300 data centers — but where will they get their water?

A significant $10 billion, 330-megawatt data center proposed for Imperial, California, is encountering substantial local opposition and a lawsuit from the City of Imperial. The project, expected to be one of the largest in the state upon completion by 2028, faces legal challenges demanding it meet higher environmental hurdles, including the California Environmental Quality Act. Residents, like Margie Padilla and Carolina Paez, express concerns about the facility's immense daily water requirement of 750,000 gallons, its potential impact on water and electricity costs, and environmental issues like construction dust, pollution, and noise. Developer Sebastian Rucci, who has acquired 235 acres for the site, asserts that extensive studies confirm the project's viability and that utility costs will not rise. He has discussed securing 6 million gallons per day of reclaimed water from Imperial and El Centro, though these negotiations are ongoing, and he may resort to purchasing water from the Imperial Irrigation District. The Imperial Irrigation District has not yet received a formal water request and declined to comment specifically on the project's impact on costs. The article highlights broader concerns in California and nationally regarding data center water usage, noting that California does not require AI data centers to report water consumption and lacks a central permitting authority. Experts like Shaolei Ren from the University of California, Riverside, underscore the infrastructure challenges posed by the rapid increase in data center water demand, estimating state-wide water infrastructure upgrade costs could range from $200 million to $800 million for proposed projects. The debate continues, with the next court hearing scheduled for the end of April.