Amazon may be contributing to the rising unsafe levels of nitrates in the drinking water of Morrow County.
Amazon may be contributing to the rising unsafe levels of nitrates in the drinking water of Morrow County.
Morrow County, Oregon, hosts vast agricultural operations and food processing facilities. However, it is also the site of multiple Amazon data centers. Currently, some specialists argue that this combination is leading to a concerning rise in nitrates in the local drinking water, which may be linked to increasing rates of cancer and miscarriages in the region.
Rolling Stone’s investigation reveals how Amazon, despite not utilizing any hazardous nitrates for cooling its data centers, is exacerbating the pollution of the Lower Umatilla Basin aquifer, which local residents depend on for their drinking water. This situation arises from inadequate wastewater management, sandy terrain, and fundamental physical principles, resulting in nitrate levels in drinking water reaching 73 ppm (parts per million) in certain wells—tenfold the permissible state limit of 7 ppm and seven times the federal limit.
As reported by Rolling Stone, “professionals contend that Amazon’s presence has intensified this issue. The data centers extract tens of millions of gallons of water from the aquifer annually for cooling their computer systems, which are then diverted to the Port’s wastewater system.” Consequently, increased nitrate-rich wastewater is distributed onto local farms. However, the absorbent soil quickly becomes saturated, allowing more nitrates to seep into the aquifer.
This problem worsens when Amazon subsequently draws this tainted water, which is already exceeding the federal legal limits for nitrates, to cool its data centers:
As the contaminated water circulates through the data centers to absorb heat from the server systems, some of it evaporates, yet the nitrates remain, resulting in an increased concentration. Hence, when the contaminated water reenters the wastewater system after passing through the data centers, it is even more polluted, sometimes averaging as much as 56 ppm, eight times Oregon’s safety threshold.
Amazon, naturally, disputes these claims. Representative Lisa Levandowski informed Rolling Stone that the article was “deceptive and inaccurate,” asserting that “the amount of water our facilities use and return constitutes merely a very small fraction of the total water system — insufficient to cause any significant impact on water quality.”
Levandowski also stated that the region’s groundwater issues “predate AWS’ (Amazon Web Services) entry.” However, if Amazon recognized the existing difficulties regarding access to safe drinking water for local inhabitants, it raises doubts as to why the company hasn’t taken greater steps to reduce its effects or why it even selected Morrow County in the first instance.
The increase in nitrates in drinking water has been associated with a spike in uncommon cancers and miscarriages. Nevertheless, initiatives aimed at curbing additional contamination and ensuring residents have access to safe, clean drinking water have been sluggish to develop. The limited response and the fact that 40 percent of the county’s population lives below the poverty line have drawn parallels to the crisis in Flint, Michigan. Kristin Ostrom, executive director of Oregon Rural Action (ORA), a water rights advocacy organization, remarked to Rolling Stone, “These individuals lack political or economic influence, and possess very little awareness of the risk.”
