BUENOS AIRES: Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou was faced with a question about the salty water during a visit to a primary school in the country’s capital, Montevideo. The question came at a time when the country was experiencing a devastating drought. Lacalle Pou responded by saying that they had to wait for the rain and save water for essential needs. Recent rainfall has provided some relief, but many Uruguayans have criticized the government for prioritizing industrial uses of water, especially in light of Google’s plans to build a data center that would consume millions of liters of water daily. Daniel Pena, a sociologist and researcher in Montevideo, expressed concern about the consumption of water by companies, which he believes are depleting the country’s reserves.
Google, owned by Alphabet, has acquired land in Canelones, Uruguay, to construct its second data center in Latin America. However, the company has faced delays in its plans to build a second project in Chile due to environmental complaints. According to Google’s sustainability data, its data centers consumed 5.22 billion gallons (19.8 billion liters) of water in 2022. Although this is less than other industries, it adds strain to water supplies that are already limited due to droughts caused by climate change. The demand for new data centers has risen due to increased internet usage, and Google’s planned data center in Canelones would cater to the company’s various internet services.
Initial plans for the facility indicated a daily water use of 7.6 million liters, which is equivalent to the daily water consumption of 55,000 people in Montevideo. The water used for cooling purposes evaporates, making it unusable for other purposes. Fabiana Molina, who runs a soup kitchen, expressed concern about the implications of competition over limited water resources for the disadvantaged communities. The industry ministry stated that the original project was withdrawn, and Google is now working on an alternative plan that would be more environmentally friendly.
Opposition to data centers is growing worldwide, including in Europe, the United States, and other parts of Latin America. In Chile, both residents and authorities filed complaints against Google’s planned data center, leading to the company committing to alternative cooling methods. However, the project is currently on hold. Microsoft’s data center project in Quilicura, also facing opposition, is progressing through the environmental permitting process. Tech companies argue that these data centers have positive economic impacts, but critics argue that they consume resources without giving much back to the community.
Uruguayan citizens, especially those who cannot afford bottled water, feel that their water rights are being disregarded. Lita Leite, a pensioner, expressed her frustration with having to use salty water for daily activities and accused the government of giving control of their natural water resources to big companies. The situation highlights the increasingly urgent issue of water scarcity and the need for sustainable water management.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
