Five hundred and fifty thousand gallons. Every single day.
That is what a hyperscale data centre of this size — roughly 100 megawatts — typically needs for cooling. Not in a drought year. Not on a hot week. Every day, year-round.
After months of public meetings and carefully worded FAQ answers, Diode still has not told us where it will come from.
Let us talk about the numbers — because the numbers are what matter when your well and your community’s future are on the line.
The Hard Numbers
Phase 1 is proposed at approximately 100 MW. Industry-standard hyperscale cooling consumes roughly 0.5 to 1.5 gallons per kilowatt-hour. Using a conservative estimate, that works out to 550,000 gallons per day.
A family of four in Alberta uses about 400 gallons of water per day. That single data centre phase will consume what 1,375 families use. Every single day.
Full buildout to 350 MW? 1.5 to 2 million gallons per day — the equivalent of 3,700 to 5,000 homes.
A quarter-section under irrigation uses 300–500 acre-feet per season. Phase 1 alone, at ~617 acre-feet per year, out-consumes a quarter section. Full buildout, at ~2,240 acre-feet annually, equals four to seven quarter sections year-round.
What Diode Says — and What It Actually Means
Diode claims \”air-based mechanical cooling\” and says they \”will not use water from the local aquifer.\” Reassuring words.
But their FAQ also says: \”the exact cooling strategy and water requirements will be determined at the development permit stage.\”
The rezoning can be approved on the basis of air cooling. But the development permit — which comes later with no new public hearing — could authorize evaporative cooling. The kind that uses 550,000 gallons a day. Once the zoning changes, the public has very limited ability to challenge what the permit allows.
The Paskapoo Formation
The site sits on the Paskapoo Formation — Alberta’s most important bedrock aquifer, supplying farms and communities across a vast area.
Large-volume pumping from the Paskapoo creates interference zones of 1 to 5 kilometres or more. Within that zone, neighbouring wells can experience significant drawdown — reduced flow, lower pressure, and in some cases complete failure.
The farms surrounding the site — including Infinity Equine — rely on wells drawing from the Paskapoo. No independent hydrogeological study has been completed for Goldfinch.
The Bow River Basin
The Bow River basin has been closed to new surface allocations since 2006 under Alberta’s Water Act. The river is fully allocated. Any new large-scale water user needs a licence transfer, groundwater allocation, or municipal supply. None have been disclosed.
The Cooling Bait-and-Switch Pattern
Google in The Dalles, Oregon: promised recycled water, switched to potable. Amazon in Boardman, Oregon: promised air cooling, switched to evaporative — up to 4 million gallons per day. In both cases, no new public hearing. The original permits covered it.
Air cooling promises during approval reduce opposition. When operational realities set in, they switch to water — and the community is left with an empty promise.
What This Means for Our Neighbours
Our neighbours depend on reliable water from the Paskapoo. A large-volume user pumping within 1 to 5 kilometres could cause wells to dry up and water quality to change.
The rezoning process does not require a hydrogeological assessment. It does not require proof the aquifer can support this. It does not require a plan if the wells go dry.
The Bottom Line
Before the zoning changes, we need answers to three questions.
One: Where is the water coming from? Groundwater? Municipal supply? A licence transfer?
Two: Can the Paskapoo support this without damaging neighbouring wells?
Three: What happens when the cooling strategy changes from air to water — as it has at virtually every comparable facility?
The developer has had months to provide answers. They have chosen not to.
So here is what we are asking: demand an independent hydrogeological study. Demand a binding cooling commitment that cannot be changed without a new hearing. Demand transparency on where the water is coming from.
Because 550,000 gallons a day is not a small question. It is the question.
And until it is answered, this rezoning should not move forward.
Learn the facts — Get involved