They promised they would never touch it.
Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing pitched a massive AI data center in California on the explicit promise that it would run strictly on reclaimed wastewater. They told locals they would not use “a single drop” from the Colorado River.
When negotiations with nearby cities failed, the company pivoted. They asked the local irrigation district for 260 million gallons of river water every year. The district refused. Now the developer has taken them to court to force access.
The volume of water they are suing for is equivalent to the annual needs of 7,300 residents in an area that depends entirely on a drought-strained river system. The developer’s proposed solution is to lease 160 acres of local farmland, leave it completely unplanted, and redirect its water ration to the servers.
Local officials are now exploring an emergency freeze on all new data center development. It marks a sharp turning point in the AI boom. The question is no longer just whether communities have the power grid to support these mega-projects. It is whether they can afford to give away their water.
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