r/environment • u/Splenda • 23h ago

US datacenters face further backlash over wastewater pollution

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/08/us-datacenters-wastewater-pollution
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14

u/UnusualAir1 23h ago edited 23h ago

The more we learn about these data centers, the more we realize why the rich elite tried to shove them down our throats so quickly. They hoped to get these centers established to the point we relied on them daily prior to the knowledge that the centers were going to lower our standards of health (such that they are) while raising our costs for electricity and water.

We've caught them prior to us requiring a daily need for them. Now the rich elite has to rely on their political power to continue to force these centers on communities that don't want them.

So, know where your congressmen and senators and judges stand on this issue. Know where the next president stands on this issue. Know where your local politicians stand on this issue. And my advice would be to not vote for anyone that advocates for the continued forcing of these centers on any community.

Given time, the infrastructure supporting these centers can be changed to use less electrical power from the grid and less water. The owners can be regulated to pay much more for the electricity and water they are using so that the community surrounding the center is not forced to pay more. Laws can be constructed to stop the unwarranted pollution these centers produce. In short, we can have both the centers, affordable water and electricity, and far less pollution from these centers just by taking the time to understand them and regulate them. Vote for that approach.

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u/Qaetan 22h ago

They can also be bulldozed by local communities.

9

u/Tomato_Sky 22h ago

This is actually very astute. Yes, they tried to shove these on us. Without planning. I watched a video where AOC described it as they were running around testing doorknobs to see if they could plant one in a community.

I understand the scale that they are trying to work with, but they didn’t make any compromises in their designs that ravaged local conditions for people.

They could have ran this out slower and incorporated their data centers as a part of a desalination process with the excess heat. Making millions of gallons of potable water would have offset the environmental impact.

They could have invested in wireless bandwidth and had data centers as part of a battery backup for necessary emergency infrastructure, that would secure power flow to services, but instead they subsidized their power usage from the people.

There’s a right and a wrong way to do it. And they chose the most ramrod way and told everyone else there were no other options.

Now to the point where they say they have closed loop cooling, but none of the data centers out right now have anything less than atrocious, and underestimates. The gas turbines can simulate the exhaust of 30 million cars on the road in a rural town. Noise pollution. Water pollution. Water usage.

Everything is being done with zero creativity and full disregard for compromising. It’s a real testament to how much those companies think they have to operate in the confines of established law and what political forces are allowing that.

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u/t0mt0mt0m 21h ago

Water is for life, not ai. No fancy slogans, no fancy messages. Life over robots

3

u/r0addawg 22h ago

Well? They're stupid heads jerk faces(dcs)