Residents press Microsoft on growth, traffic and water

MALAGA — Questions about traffic, groundwater and growth shaped the first of a planned series of informal community conversations July 30 as Microsoft and Sabey representatives met with residents over coffee to discuss the companies' expanding presence in Malaga.

Held at The Huckleberry inside Three Lakes Golf Club, the inaugural "Coffee & Community" gathering replaced the format of public hearings with an open question-and-answer session. Rather than formal presentations, residents drove nearly every topic, raising concerns about construction traffic, water use, lighting, emergency response, future development and ongoing communication with the companies.

Traffic quickly emerged as one of the community's most immediate concerns.

Volunteer firefighter Jeremiah Johnson told Microsoft representatives he has witnessed repeated close calls involving construction traffic pulling onto the Malaga-Alcoa Highway during afternoon shift changes. While emphasizing that the issue involves only a portion of drivers leaving the site, Johnson said the situation has persisted long enough to warrant attention, adding, "My concern is this is something that can be prevented."

Other residents echoed those concerns, describing speeding, limited visibility and congestion near the construction entrance. Company representatives said they are continuing to work with Chelan County Public Works and project contractors to identify possible traffic mitigation measures while also reviewing construction-site practices that could improve driver safety.

The discussion then shifted to groundwater, where residents asked detailed questions about both water consumption and how future demand could influence Malaga Water District planning.

Resident Sharon Seal questioned how continued groundwater withdrawals could affect the local aquifer during extended drought conditions, while others focused on how projected water use factors into wellhead protection areas that can influence future residential development.

Microsoft’s people said the first three data centers do not continuously use water for cooling. Instead, they rely entirely on outside air until temperatures reach 85 degrees, with evaporative cooling used only during the hottest part of the summer.

Representatives also confirmed the first three facilities are permitted to use a combined maximum of 18 million gallons of water annually, though they expect actual consumption to be considerably lower because water use depends on weather conditions. The permitted amount represents the maximum authorized use rather than expected annual consumption. For perspective, representatives said that level of water use is comparable to approximately 200 homes over the course of a year.

For a local comparison, the City of Wenatchee recently approved repairs to its Okanogan Avenue reservoir after it was found to be leaking approximately 1 million gallons of treated water each day.

If temperatures remained above 85 degrees around the clock for an entire year, requiring continuous evaporative cooling, one Malaga data center building could use about as much water as that reservoir leaked in less than a week. Microsoft representatives said the facilities use reclaimed, non-potable water for cooling and expect actual annual water use to be substantially lower than the permitted maximum.

Questions also addressed temporary construction lighting, emergency response coordination, future communication with residents and Sabey's long-term plans for nearby property.

Throughout the meeting, Microsoft and Sabey representatives spent much of the discussion listening, asking follow-up questions and taking notes as residents described concerns, occasionally providing technical information or directing attendees to additional public resources.

As the conversation broadened beyond individual issues, residents reflected on why community frustration surrounding large development projects can build so quickly.

Several participants noted that relatively few residents attend public meetings before major projects are underway, making it more difficult for communities to ask questions early in the process or better understand decisions affecting their neighborhoods.

Resident Vicki Malloy said that sense of exclusion contributed to the frustration many people initially felt as the data center projects began taking shape.

"We didn't find out until well after the fact," Malloy said. "It felt to our community like we were being stonewalled... and that brings up anger and powerlessness."

Malloy said more recent outreach efforts have helped residents better understand projects affecting the community, even as questions remain about their long-term impacts. Earlier in the discussion, Seal captured that sentiment after acknowledging both Microsoft's investments and residents' concerns, saying, "Both can be true."

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media