Google's data center plans in Uruguay spark outrage as country faces water crisis

Uruguay is currently battling a water crisis, facing its worst drought in more than 70 years. The country has now experienced years of low rainfall, something which is likely to only continue as climate change exacerbates the issue. However, it's not just the result of climate change, according to experts, it's also a result of lack of planning and implementation of environmental policies and water protection measures. 

Since May, the tap water of Montevideo and its metropolitan area has contained more than double the amount of sodium permitted by local regulations. And while public health minister, Karina Rando, has said "there is no health risk" in consuming tap water, those with hypertension, kidney or heart problems, and pregnant women have been advised to limit their consumption of it.

Yet in the midst of this ongoing and worsening situation, Google has proposed a new data center, pegged to guzzle millions of gallons of water. The giant has reportedly bought 29 hectares (72 acres) to build a facility in Canelones, in southern Uruguay. Further, initial plans showed that the water would be sourced directly from the public drinking water system, totaling 7.6m liters (2m gallons) of water a day used to cool its servers.

This, of course, has sparked outrage in the country, with many arguing that corporate interests are being prioritized over citizens in a time of crisis. 

Speaking about this, Daniel Pena, a researcher at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, said: "Only a tiny proportion of water in Uruguay is used for human consumption. The majority is used for big agro industries, such as soya, rice and wood pulping. Now we have Google planning to use enormous quantities of water."

According to Uruguay's industry ministry, the giant is now revising its plans, and in a statement, Google said: "The Uruguay data center project is still in the exploratory phase, and Google's technical team is actively working with the support of national and local authorities. We expect preliminary numbers (like projected water consumption) to undergo adjustments. At Google, sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and the way we design and manage our data centers is no exception," it said.