Tucson revokes water access for Project Blue after contractor allegedly transported city water to site

Tucson City Manager Cuts Water Access for Project Blue After Contractor Allegedly Transported City Water to Data Center Site

City Manager Timothy Thomure sent a letter to contractor Beale Infrastructure on May 4 notifying them that Tucson Water terminated a construction water meter. The termination came after the city discovered the meter obtained by Ames Construction was being used to transport city water outside the service area for dust control at the Project Blue data center site.

The site is located at 11000 and 11295 South Houghton Road near the Pima County Fairgrounds.

The letter emphasized that the Mayor and City Council unanimously rejected any involvement with Project Blue data center development. The city also rejected any use of water resources for the facility.

City Demands Water Credits

Thomure wrote that to the amazement of city officials. They were alerted to the fact that the contractor obtained a construction meter from within the Tucson Water service area. The contractor then transported that water out of the service area for use on the Project Blue site.

The city manager emphasized that Tucson will not provide any city resource including water supply to be used for Project Blue. He demanded that no further exploitation of the water supply be used by Gallagher contractors subcontractors or any other entity connected to Project Blue.

Thomure also requested that Gallagher transfer 2 acre-feet of water credits to Tucson Water at no cost to the city.

Developer Denies Misconduct

Beale Infrastructure released a statement following the letter. They said the city issued a permit for temporary water per the normal course of business. Their contractor followed standard procedure and will be billed accordingly. They are procuring construction water through an alternative source of non drinking water.

They direct any questions on the permit issuance to Tucson Water.

Community Opposition Grows

The Tucson City Council unanimously voted to reject annexing the site for the Amazon-linked Project Blue data centers complex last August. The concerns included water and electricity usage.

Amazon pulled out of the project late last year. Beale Infrastructure is still continuing the project and seeking other partners after buying the land from Pima County.

The water used at the construction site was potable water.

City spokesman Andy Squire said city officials learned of the situation when a citizen asked a Ward 4 staffer if the dust control water for Project Blue was coming from the city or another source. This triggered a city investigation.

Not all heroes wear capes. City Councilmember Kevin Dahl. A vocal critic of Project Blue. Posted this on Facebook along with the city manager's letter.

The No Desert Data Center Coalition also cheered the city's action.

We are delighted to see that the overwhelming community opposition to Project Blue has gotten the city manager who last summer was Beale's champion to revoke their water permit in such a strongly worded letter. Coalition member Vivek Bharathan said.

If they are in violation of dust control regulations. We expect the county and state to enforce those.

The city had not heard back from Beale as of Tuesday night.

The contractor did not make that action clear in the application. But the parent primary company is very aware that the City rejected any use of our water resources for the development or operation of this data center facility. Squire wrote in an email to the Star.