Google transfers water storage system to The Dalles, Oregon – PPC Land

Public-Private Partnership Enhances Water Security in The Dalles, Oregon, Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

• Date of Completion: October 22, 2025
• Location: The Dalles, Oregon
• Project: Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) System
• Key Stakeholders: A technology company and the City of The Dalles
• Primary Outcome: Transfer of a major water infrastructure asset and associated rights from private to public control, increasing the city’s water capacity by over 100 million gallons annually.
• SDG Alignment: The project directly supports SDGs 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17 by improving water management, building resilient infrastructure, enhancing community sustainability, and fostering public-private partnerships.

Project Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The project makes a significant contribution to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water for all.

• Target 6.4 (Water Scarcity): The ASR system directly addresses seasonal water scarcity by capturing surplus water during rainy periods for use in drier months, thereby increasing water-use efficiency and ensuring sustainable withdrawals.
• Target 6.5 (Integrated Water Resources Management): The initiative represents a model of integrated water management, combining technological infrastructure with the transfer of water rights to municipal control, ensuring a holistic approach to the local watershed.
• Target 6.6 (Protecting Water-Related Ecosystems): Associated watershed enhancement projects, such as stream flow improvements and reforestation, directly contribute to the protection and restoration of local water-related ecosystems.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The initiative exemplifies the development of quality, reliable, and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being.

• Target 9.1 (Resilient Infrastructure): The ASR system is a critical piece of resilient infrastructure that enhances the community’s capacity to manage climate-related water variability and supports sustainable industrialization.
• Target 9.4 (Sustainable Infrastructure): By prioritizing a water-based cooling system that is more energy-efficient than industry averages (6% cooling overhead vs. 57% global average), the associated data center operations demonstrate a commitment to upgrading infrastructure for greater resource-use efficiency.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The project strengthens the City of The Dalles’ capacity to be inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

• Target 11.5 (Resilience to Disasters): The additional 100 million gallons of water capacity significantly increases the city’s resilience to water-related hazards, particularly drought, which is a key aspect of disaster risk reduction.
• Target 11.b (Integrated Policies and Plans): The project is a result of integrated planning for urban development, incorporating resource management and climate adaptation into infrastructure expansion linked to the redevelopment of a former industrial site.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

This initiative is a prime example of a multi-stakeholder partnership advancing sustainable development.

• Target 17.17 (Public-Private Partnerships): The collaboration between the technology company and the City of The Dalles demonstrates an effective public-private partnership model where private investment in infrastructure results in a public asset, serving broader community needs for sustainable growth.

Project Details and Technical Specifications

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) System

1. Function: The system captures excess surface water during Oregon’s rainy season that would otherwise be lost as runoff.
2. Process: Surface water is treated before being injected into an existing underground aquifer for storage, functioning as a “savings account” for water.
3. Retrieval: During drier summer months, the stored water is recovered to supplement the city’s municipal supply.
4. Capacity: The system provides over 100 million additional gallons of water to the city annually, exclusive of the technology company’s operational needs.

Infrastructure and Rights Transfer

• Physical Assets: The project included the construction of wells, pipes, pumps, and tanks as part of a former smelter site redevelopment.
• Ownership Transfer: Permanent ownership of the ASR system and associated groundwater rights were transferred to the City of The Dalles at no cost.
• Community Benefit: This transfer makes a previously private resource available for public benefit, supporting potential residential and business growth in line with sustainable development principles.

Associated Environmental and Watershed Initiatives (SDG 13 & SDG 15)

In conjunction with the ASR system, funding was allocated to three initiatives aimed at climate action (SDG 13) and protecting life on land (SDG 15).

1. Forest Restoration: Reforestation of 150 acres in the municipal watershed to reduce erosion, improve surface water quality, and enhance ecosystem resilience following a 2013 wildfire.
2. Irrigation Efficiency: Conversion of six miles of open irrigation canal to pipeline, conserving water and enhancing stream habitat for threatened salmon populations.
3. Stream Flow Enhancement: Implementation of an underground water storage system in Fifteen Mile Creek to increase summer stream flow and lower water temperatures, benefiting both aquatic ecosystems and local agriculture.

Context and Implications for Sustainable Development

Data Center Operations and Resource Management

• The infrastructure investment was driven by the water cooling requirements of the company’s data center campus, which consumed nearly 275 million gallons in 2021.
• The project serves as a model for how technology companies can mitigate their environmental footprint by investing in infrastructure that provides a net benefit to the host community’s resource security.
• By transferring ownership of the infrastructure and water rights, the project addresses concerns over corporate control of essential public resources, ensuring equitable access to water.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article’s primary focus is on water management. It details the construction of an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) system to address seasonal water scarcity, improve water supply reliability, and manage water resources more effectively in The Dalles, Oregon. It also touches upon improving local water quality and the efficiency of water use.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article describes a significant investment in new, innovative, and resilient water infrastructure (the ASR system). This project, driven by the needs of a tech company’s data centers, represents an upgrade to the city’s infrastructure to support both industrial needs and community well-being.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The project directly contributes to making The Dalles more resilient to water-related challenges like drought. By increasing the city’s water capacity by “over 100 million additional gallons annually,” the ASR system enhances the community’s ability to manage water stress and supports future residential and business growth.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article mentions several “watershed enhancement projects” funded alongside the ASR system. Specifically, the project to reforest “150 acres within its municipal watershed damaged by a 2013 wildfire” directly addresses the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems to reduce erosion and improve water quality.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The entire initiative is a clear example of a public-private partnership. A private tech company collaborated with the City of The Dalles to fund, design, and build critical infrastructure, ultimately transferring ownership and water rights to the public for community benefit. This model of collaboration is central to achieving the SDGs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.

   The article highlights efforts to improve water efficiency. The tech company’s data center achieves “6% cooling overhead, compared to a 57% global industry average,” demonstrating high efficiency in its sector. Additionally, the funded project to convert “six miles of open irrigation canal to pipeline infrastructure” for the East Fork Irrigation District is a direct measure to increase efficiency in agriculture by preventing water loss.

2. Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.

   The ASR system is a textbook example of integrated water resources management. It captures seasonal surplus water (“captures water during Oregon’s rainy season that would otherwise flow away as runoff”) and stores it for use during periods of scarcity (“available during drier summer months”), thus managing the water cycle for maximum benefit.

3. Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.

   A key outcome of the project was the transfer of control to the local community. The article states, “Permanent ownership of the system, including associated groundwater rights, now belongs to The Dalles.” This empowers the municipality to manage its own water resources and ensures the benefits serve the public.

4. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.

   The ASR system is described as a “new water infrastructure project set to increase the city’s water capacity for decades.” It is designed to be resilient against drought and seasonal water scarcity, thereby providing a reliable water supply that supports both the community (“residential growth”) and economic activity (“a new business locating in The Dalles”).

5. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters, including water-related disasters…

   The article explicitly states that the “aquifer storage system adds drought resilience to a community.” By creating a “savings account” for water, the project directly mitigates the impacts of drought, a slow-onset, water-related disaster, thus protecting the community from its effects.

6. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands…

   The watershed enhancement projects directly address this target. The article notes that “The City of The Dalles received support for reforesting 150 acres within its municipal watershed.” This action aims to restore a forest ecosystem to “reduce runoff and erosion while improving surface water quality.”

7. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…

   The project is a partnership between a private tech company and the City of The Dalles. The company invested in the infrastructure and then “deeded both physical assets and legal rights to the municipality,” showcasing an effective partnership model where private investment leads to public benefit.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Volume of additional water capacity: The article quantifies the new capacity as “over 100 million additional gallons annually.” This is a direct indicator of increased water supply and resilience (Targets 6.4, 9.1, 11.5).
• Measure of water-use efficiency: The data point that the company’s cooling system has a “6% cooling overhead, compared to a 57% global industry average” is a specific indicator of water-use efficiency in the industrial sector (Target 6.4).
• Area of restored ecosystem: The “reforesting 150 acres” is a clear, quantifiable indicator of progress in ecosystem restoration (Target 15.1).
• Length of upgraded infrastructure: The conversion of “six miles of open irrigation canal to pipeline” is a measurable indicator of infrastructure improvement for water efficiency (Target 6.4).
• Transfer of ownership and rights: The “permanent transfer of ownership of the ASR system and associated groundwater rights to the city” is a qualitative but critical indicator of strengthening local community participation and control over water resources (Target 6.b).
• Implementation of a public-private partnership: The completed project and the formal transfer of assets serve as a concrete indicator of a successful public-private partnership (Target 17.17).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ppc.land