The Pima County Board of Supervisors shouldn't approve the data center plan ("Project Blue") without full transparency. It could consume up to 4 million gallons of water for cooling every day — roughly 1 in every 20 gallons Tucson Water delivers.
That's as much as the entire town of Oro Valley uses.
These estimates, based on Google's Mesa data center, highlight the project's massive demands. Yet a nondisclosure agreement blocks supervisors and residents from knowing actual water requirements. How can elected officials make informed decisions about our desert community's most precious resource while operating in the dark?
As co-founder of Sky Island AI, I recognize data centers' importance to our digital economy. But as a member of the Tucson Citizens' Water Advisory Committee, I'm deeply concerned that building them in the hot desert and allocating so much of our dwindling water supply for cooling is irresponsible.
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We cannot afford to gamble our water security on secret deals. The Board should demand full disclosure or reject this proposal.
Ed Hendel
West side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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