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Thursday, Jul. 3, 2025

Did the Pima County Board of Supervisors approve a land sale that could use millions of gallons of water per day?


yes

In June 2025, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted, 3-2, to approve “Project Blue,” a $3.6 billion data center campus slated for construction southeast of Tucson. The 290-acre campus is expected to include multiple data centers, each requiring substantial amounts of water to cool servers and related equipment. 

While the proposal for the controversial project did not disclose daily water-usage estimates, studies show data centers can consume 2-5 million gallons per day. For comparison, the average U.S. household uses around 300 gallons per day. 

The developer behind Project Blue has pledged to transition to 100% renewable water sources over time, but it remains unclear how — or whether — that commitment would be enforced. The project has drawn public concern and skepticism, given ongoing drought conditions and the state’s already limited water supply.

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