To the editor: Whereas the State Water Assets Management Board is ordering landowners in elements of the San Joaquin Valley to submit detailed experiences of how a lot groundwater they’re pumping, it should additionally demand the identical experiences from the 288 knowledge facilities all through California (“For the primary time, California growers need to say how a lot groundwater they’re taking,” Could 1). They’re collectively utilizing billions of gallons of water from municipal provides which are primarily unaudited.
Final 12 months, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Meeting Invoice 93, which might have required new knowledge facilities to report their anticipated water consumption, however solely on an annual foundation. In his veto, Newsom declared, “I’m reluctant to impose inflexible reporting necessities about operational particulars on this sector with out understanding the complete impression on companies and the customers of their expertise.”
Why is the burden of proof on our agricultural trade, which immediately offers our meals provide, a lot extra stringent than the one on AI hyperscalers? As an alternative of offering our meals, they drive up unemployment in addition to our water and electrical energy charges all through the state.
John Boal, Burbank
