Utah’s water is under threat from massive data centers that risk consuming billions of gallons annually. As an environmental coordinator, it is my responsibility to measure and minimize environmental impact. These companies have no such mandate, closely guarding their water use because it would immediately disqualify them from many communities. As such, they threaten to undo Utah’s years of progress in water conservation.

Google’s and IBM’s one million square foot data centers use approximately 200 million gallons (600 acre-feet) annually, a staggering amount for a state in a megadrought . The new center approved in Millard County will cover 20 million square feet, meaning it could use up to 4 billion gallons (12,000 acre-feet) annually. For perspective, that’s more than the 10,000

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