Data centers can look like little more than large, windowless warehouses. But the questions they create for a city can extend far beyond where to put the building, or if beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. … For Alison McNally, who teaches geography and environmental resources at Stanislaus State, one question immediately rises to the top in the San Joaquin Valley: “Where would the water come from?” The region already has competing demands from agriculture, homes, businesses and environmental needs, while groundwater users are adjusting to California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. McNally said the impact of any particular data center would depend heavily on its size, location and water source.

Other data center water use and regulation news:

• ABC10 (Sacramento, Calif.): Why Dixon is pausing new data center approvals for 45 days
• KCRA (Sacramento, Calif.):Dixon City Council approves 45-day ban for data center development
• Calexico Chronicle (Calif.): Data center committee hears moratorium, legislation updates
• The Hill: Opinion: Debunking political fearmongering over data centers