Data center developer Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing recently filed a lawsuit in California courts seeking access to 260 million gallons of water from the Colorado River each year. The move sparked criticism, as many argued that the state should not be giving the water to data centers.
According to reports from KPBS, Imperial Valley filed a lawsuit against the Imperial Irrigation District after negotiations to use recycled wastewater fell apart. What makes the lawsuit more controversial is that the company repeatedly claimed before the project was completed that it would rely solely on recycled wastewater from nearby cities and would not tap into the Colorado River.
It remains to be seen whether the California company will be allowed to use the water, considering it has leased 160 acres of farmland and claims that if the water is no longer being used for agriculture, it should be “transferable.”
Since this article was originally reported, the Reddit discussion thread has been removed by moderators. The reactions included below were posted before the thread was taken down.
Residents Are Not Happy with Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing’s Lawsuit
In a now-deleted Reddit post, many people who rely on water from the Colorado River complained about the project and the lawsuit: “Data centers are becoming a major issue. They are always in the news, and it is always bad.”
Others highlighted why taking water from the Colorado River was a bad idea: “Like 7 states rely on the Colorado River’s water, which feeds most of America. But sure… yeah… let’s allow a data center to use that water for cooling and then literally poison the rest of America as a byproduct.”
Some users were seemingly furious about the disparity between how companies and ordinary people use water. One commenter said, “I can’t water my tomatoes, but these [expletive] can do whatever they want?” Another added: “All while my garden turns to dust so I can conserve a few gallons of water. [EXPLETIVE] THESE PEOPLE. I’m turning my sprinklers on all night.”
One user suggested a possible solution: “There are data centers that are a closed-loop system and wouldn’t require the amount of water this style does. The state should mandate that they make these types of data centers, especially in the drought-stricken western states.”
It remains to be seen how the California courts will rule on the lawsuit, but the plan is expected to continue drawing strong opposition from people in states that could be affected by the change.
