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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Grace Livingstone in Montevideo

‘It’s pillage’: thirsty Uruguayans decry Google’s plan to exploit water supply

People take part in a protest amid a shortage of drinking water reserves in Montevideo on 31 May 2023.
People take part in a protest amid a shortage of drinking water reserves in Montevideo on 31 May 2023. Photograph: Eitan Abramovich/AFP/Getty Images

A plan to build a Google data centre that will use millions of litres of water a day has sparked anger in Uruguay, which is suffering its worst drought in 74 years.

Water shortages are so severe in the country that a state of emergency has been declared in Montevideo and the authorities have added salty water to the public drinking water supplies, prompting widespread protests.

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