Yes.
In June 2025, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted, 3-2, to approve “Project Blue,” a $3.6 billion data center campus slated for construction southeast of Tucson. The 290-acre campus is expected to include multiple data centers, each requiring substantial amounts of water to cool servers and related equipment.
While the proposal for the controversial project did not disclose daily water-usage estimates, studies show data centers can consume 2-5 million gallons per day. For comparison, the average U.S. household uses around 300 gallons per day.
The developer behind Project Blue has pledged to transition to 100% renewable water sources over time, but it remains unclear how — or whether — that commitment would be enforced. The project has drawn public concern and skepticism, given ongoing drought conditions and the state’s already limited water supply.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Project Blue FAQ, Pima County, AZ
- Pima County Board of Supervisors, Meeting Minutes
- Project Blue, Public Update (June 17, 2025)
- Freshwater.org, Data Center Water Use
- University of Tulsa, Data Centers/Water
- Environmental Protection Agency, How We Use Water
- Project Blue (report), KGUN9
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
