The Dalles fought 13 months to hide how much water Google uses — 29% of the city's supply
After The Oregonian requested Google's water records, the city sued the newspaper, with Google funding the fight. Records released in the settlement show 355 million gallons in 2021, nearly triple 2017.
The Dalles, Oregon, argued Google's water consumption was a trade secret and sued The Oregonian to block its public-records request. The Wasco County district attorney disagreed, and in December 2022 the city settled: Google had paid more than $100,000 toward the city's legal costs and agreed to cover a further $53,000 owed to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
The records show Google's data centres used 355.1 million gallons in 2021 — about 29% of the city's total consumption, up from 124.2 million gallons in 2017. Two more data centres were planned along the Columbia River, backed by a $28.5 million water-infrastructure deal.
Google has since reversed course publicly, backing water-reporting standards for data centres amid growing local backlash.
Sources
- 1.We now know how much water Google's Oregon data centers use after The Dalles drops lawsuit against journalistsData Center Dynamics · Dec 20, 2022
- 2.The Dalles settles public records lawsuit over Google's data centersReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press · Dec 16, 2022
- 3.Google pushes water standards amid data center backlashAxios · Jun 3, 2026