Big tech data centres spark worry over scarce Western water

By ANDREW SELSKY and MANUEL VALDES

Technology
Monday, 25 Oct 2021
3:00 PM MYT

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The Dalles Mayor Richard Mays looks at the view of his town and the Columbia River from his hilltop home in The Dalles, Oregon. Mays helped negotiate a proposal by Google to build new data centres in the town. — Photos: AP

THE DALLES, Oregon: Conflicts over water are as old as history itself, but the massive Google data centres on the edge of this Oregon town on the Columbia River represent an emerging 21st century concern.

Now a critical part of modern computing, data centres help people stream movies on Netflix, conduct transactions on PayPal, post updates on Facebook, store trillions of photos and more. But a single facility can also churn through millions of gallons of water per day to keep hot-running equipment cool.

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The Dalles Mayor Richard Mays looks at the view of his town and the Columbia River from his hilltop home in The Dalles, Oregon. Mays helped negotiate a proposal by Google to build new data centres in the town. — Photos: AP

Anderson, left, and Mayor Richard Mays pose for photos in The Dalles, Oregon. — AP

The historic Granada Theater building in downtown The Dalles, Oregon. As demand for cloud computing grows, the world’s biggest tech companies are building more data centres, including in arid regions even though they use vast amounts of water per day. Some residents of The Dalles, Oregon, are objecting to a proposal by Google to build more data centers there, fearing that, amid rising temperatures and drought, there won't be enough water for everyone. — AP

Rasmussen stands at her well at her property on the outskirts of The Dalles, Oregon. She says the water table that her well draws from has dropped 15 feet in the last 15 years. She has deep concerns about Google's proposal to build more data centres, which use vast amounts of water, in the town. The city council is expected to vote soon on Google's proposal. — AP

The land beyond the fencing where Google wants to build more data centres at the site of a former aluminum smelter in The Dalles, Oregon. The Dalles City Council member Long-Curtiss wants to know more details about Google's proposal to build more data centers in the town before the city council votes on the matter. — AP

The exterior of a large brown building housing a Google data center in The Dalles, Oregon, is seen in background on the right. Local officials wants to know more details about Google's proposal to build more data centres in the town before the city council votes on the matter. — AP

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Big tech data centres spark worry over scarce Western water