City OKs Google data centers amid secrecy, water worries

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The council of a small Oregon city has approved a deal with Google that will enable the technology giant to build two more water-guzzling data centers there, though some residents worry about drought and secrecy.

A single data center can churn through millions of gallons of water per day to keep hot-running equipment cool, and the placement of these facilities in drought-prone areas is an increasing concern around the globe, even as reliance on them is growing. Data centers form the “cloud” that helps people stream movies, conduct research at the touch of a button, buy things and store photos and videos.

Members of the Dalles City Council unanimously approved the $28.5 million deal Monday night. The new data centers would be in addition to the three cavernous facilities Google already has in the town. Google built its first-ever industrial-scale data center in The Dalles in 2006.

Google spokeswoman Kate Franko, in a statement issued after the vote, underscored the public's need for data centers.

“Google’s data centers in The Dalles in Wasco County help millions of people find directions, send emails, and search for information every day,” said Franko, regional head of data center public affairs.

The new data centers would go on the site of a former aluminum smelter, shuttered in 1987, that emitted so much pollution it became a Superfund cleanup site. Along with Google’s purchase of the property several years ago, the company also acquired the locale’s rights to 3.9 million gallons of water per day.

“We are proud to expand our commitment to the region and continue the cleanup of the former Superfund site,” Franko said.

Under the deal, Google will transfer its water rights to the city and will build up The Dalles’ water capacity, including drilling...