CLOUDS ON THE RANGE
A project of Agricultural Data Center Research

The Dalles Data Centers and Water

What the public records show about Google’s water use, infrastructure agreements, transparency, and the questions that still remain.

What we know so far

Google’s data centers in The Dalles have used large amounts of municipal water, but the exact numbers were not always publicly available. A records dispute over that information eventually led to litigation, and the City later released historical water-use figures.This case study is tracking four connected questions: how much water the facilities use, what infrastructure was built to serve them, who paid for that infrastructure, and what the public record shows about why some information was withheld.

Water use

2021Google-related facilities withdrew approximately 355 million gallons of municipal water, representing about 29% of The Dalles’ total municipal water withdrawal. Google separately reported approximately 274.5 million gallons consumed.2024Water withdrawal increased to approximately 461.1 million gallons, with approximately 361.4 million gallons consumed.2025Google’s reported water consumption reached approximately 550 million gallons — roughly 40% of the city total and about five times the 2012 level.Withdrawal and consumption are not the same measurement. Withdrawal measures water taken from the system; consumption measures water that is not returned. This case study keeps the two figures separate when comparing water use over time.

Why the numbers were hard to get

In September 2021, Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Mike Rogoway requested records showing Google’s annual water use in The Dalles.The City denied the request, arguing that the information qualified for protection as a trade secret. Rogoway appealed to the Wasco County District Attorney, who ordered the records disclosed. The City then sued Rogoway and Oregonian Media Group in October 2021 in an effort to prevent their release.The case was settled in December 2022. Under the settlement, the City agreed to release annual Google water-use figures for 2012 through 2021 and to disclose comparable information in response to future public-records requests.

Infrastructure

Water use is only part of the picture. Google’s growth in The Dalles has also required municipal infrastructure capable of delivering water to increasingly large data center operations.This case study is tracing what infrastructure was built or expanded, what agreements governed those improvements, how the costs were allocated, and whether any financial risk ultimately remained with the public.Still being investigated: the complete relationship between individual data center expansions, specific infrastructure projects, and who paid for each improvement.

What happened when

2006
Google opens its first data center in The Dalles.September 2021
The Oregonian/OregonLive requests records showing Google’s annual water use. The City denies the request.October 2021
After the Wasco County District Attorney orders disclosure, the City files suit seeking to prevent the records from being released.2021
Google’s annual water use reaches approximately 355.1 million gallons, more than a quarter of the city’s water use.December 2022
The lawsuit is settled. The City agrees to release annual Google water-use figures for 2012–2021 and comparable future records when requested.

What the records establish

EstablishedThe available record shows that Google’s data center operations became a significant user of The Dalles’ municipal water system, that annual water-use figures were withheld from public disclosure, and that those figures became public following a records dispute and litigation.Still investigatingThis project is continuing to examine how water and other infrastructure were expanded to accommodate data center growth, how those costs were allocated between Google and the City, what obligations changed across successive agreements, and what financial or infrastructure risks remained with the public.

Sources & primary records

This case study is built from public records, government documents, court records and reporting. Primary documents will be linked here as they are reviewed and incorporated into the findings.Key records being examined

About this case study

Clouds on the Range treats this as an ongoing investigation. Findings are separated from unanswered questions, and figures are identified according to what the underlying source actually measures.As additional public records are obtained and reviewed, this page will be updated. Where possible, primary records will be linked so readers can examine the evidence themselves.Last updated: August 19, 2026

Clouds on the Range is a project of Agricultural Data Center Research examining how data center development intersects with agriculture, water, energy, infrastructure and rural communities.