Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing (IVCM) is suing the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) after the utility denied the company’s request for about 260 million gallons of Colorado River water per year, or roughly 750,000 gallons per day, to cool a planned 330 MW AI data center in Imperial County. The case tests whether water historically used for agriculture can be redirected to industrial projects envisioned in the county’s emerging Lithium Valley plan. … To support future growth, Imperial County’s plan proposes a regional backbone water conveyance system, 12 water storage facilities, and a special district to build and manage new infrastructure.

Other data center and industrial water use news:

• CBS Sacramento (Calif.): As AI expands, California communities debate new data center projects
• Nevada Current: Henderson City Council rejects data center moratorium
• Arizona’s Family (Phoenix): TSMC Arizona expansion could make it Phoenix’s largest water customer
• KJZZ (Phoenix): APS to convert Cholla power plant from coal to natural gas. It expects water usage to be the same
• The Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Navajo citizens confront leaders on data centers, mines, uranium
• Forbes: Meet the wastewater billionaire with his eye on AI data centers