California’s Data Center Surge Tests Limits of Scarce Water Resources

Imperial Valley Project Draws Local Backlash (Image Credits: Pixabay)

Residents in California’s Imperial Valley already contend with escalating water bills amid persistent droughts. A proposed massive data center there would consume 750,000 gallons daily for cooling, equivalent to the needs of thousands of households.[1][2] Officials and experts highlight the strain from 24 additional facilities slated for completion by 2030, pushing the state beyond 300 data centers in total.[1] These developments underscore tensions between technological advancement and resource management in a water-stressed region.

Imperial Valley Project Draws Local Backlash

Developer Sebastian Rucci envisions a $10 billion, 330-megawatt facility on 235 acres near the city of Imperial. Spanning 950,000 square feet across two stories, the site could become the state’s largest operating data center by 2028.[1] Rucci maintains that electricity and water costs for locals will not increase due to the project. He proposes sourcing up to 6 million gallons daily of reclaimed water from nearby cities or the Imperial Irrigation District.

Local opposition mounts, however. The city of Imperial filed a lawsuit citing inadequate environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act, with a court date set for late April.[1] Resident Margie Padilla reported her family’s monthly bill doubling to $90-$130 over six years, partly for gardening and food preparation. Neighbor Carolina Paez expressed fears of pollution, noise, dust, and declining property values near the site.

Statewide Boom Amplifies Water Demands

California currently hosts 286 data centers, with analysts tracking 24 more under construction or planned.[1] These facilities, fueled by artificial intelligence growth, rely heavily on evaporative cooling systems that spike during hot summers. A typical 100-megawatt center might draw about 1 million gallons on peak days – matching daily use for roughly 10,000 people.

Comparisons reveal context. Alfalfa irrigation in the Imperial Valley alone demands over 800 billion gallons yearly, dwarfing data center totals. Still, the lack of centralized tracking complicates assessments, as the state Water Resources Control Board holds no list of data centers’ water rights.[1]

Infrastructure Bottlenecks and Hidden Costs

Peak demands pose the greatest risk to small water districts. Shaolei Ren, an associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, explained that data center cooling can surge six to ten times above averages on hot days.[1][3] He noted, “Water is not purely an environmental issue. In many places, it is fundamentally an infrastructure challenge.”

Upgrading systems could cost California $200 million to $800 million, per Ren’s estimates based on national averages.[1] Nationally, unchecked growth might require $10 billion to $58 billion in expansions by 2030. Scott Berry of the US Water Alliance anticipates rising scrutiny: “I suspect that as data centers continue to be part of the broad conversation, then these numbers will probably continue to go up as people are more concerned about the impacts they have on the things that affect them and their communities, like supply, quality and cost.”[1]

Push for Oversight Amid Regulatory Gaps

California mandates no water usage reports from data centers, unlike some energy disclosures. Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill requiring such transparency, though he signed one on power consumption.[2] Local governments handle permitting, often lacking resources for rural areas.

• Key concerns include overwhelming community systems during droughts.
• Potential for higher bills and restrictions on households.
• Need for peak-use reporting over annual averages.
• Opportunities in reclaimed water or dry cooling alternatives.

Khara Boender of the Data Center Coalition urged context: “I know when we start to talk about billions of gallons of water in a year, that sounds absolutely crazy… Looking at how that falls into context with some of these other large water users, I think that that kind of contextualization could be surprising to folks.”[1]

As data centers proliferate, families like Padilla’s confront a stark reality: technological progress may exact a steeper toll on everyday water access. Solutions such as treated wastewater offer promise, yet infrastructure lags leave communities vulnerable in the near term.[1]