Batam residents protest as taps run dry amid data-center growth

Technology · First reported 8 Nov, 02:46 · Updated 03:46

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Francis Matahum · CC BY-SA 4.0

Residents in Batam say dry taps made cooking and bathing difficult as data centers expand on the Indonesian island. The Japan Times reports that the local water utility attributed the prolonged drought to low rainfall, worsened by a strong El Niño cycle; residents’ anger has also focused on data centers’ water use for cooling servers.

Residents in Batam protested as water shortages made cooking and bathing difficult.
Batam’s local water utility said the area had experienced a long drought caused by low rainfall, with a strong El Niño cycle worsening dry conditions.
The reports link the protests to the growth of data centers supporting AI; The Japan Times notes that water is often used to cool their servers.

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Key facts

Location: Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia.
Reported effects: Cooking and bathing became difficult when taps ran dry.
Utility’s explanation: A long drought caused by low rainfall; the utility said a strong El Niño cycle exacerbated dry weather.
Data-center water use: Water is often used to cool data-center servers.