KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Selangor has yet to observe significant impacts on its water supply from data centre development, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said.
“Johor was previously a major (destination) for data centres, and Selangor is now becoming one as well.
“We have not observed any significant impact on our water supply because we have strong water supply management and controls,” he told reporters after a 2027 Selangor Budget engagement session with state agencies at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
“We also need to provide alternative water sources, such as raw water, for industrial use, but the cost is high because we would need to build pipelines and the necessary infrastructure for the system,” he added.
Amirudin said Selangor must balance the demand for data centre investments with the state’s ability to ensure adequate water resources and sustainable supply for other users.
“We cannot continue to encourage all data centres to come into the state without limits. There has to be a limit, and that limit will depend on our water supply capacity. If we do not have sufficient water supply, we will not be able to approve them,” Amirudin said in reply to a question about data centres’ water needs and how he would convince residents to accept such facilities.
During the engagement session, the state government suggested a financing model in which data centre operators pay to develop additional water treatment facilities in exchange for long-term water supply, which could benefit residents by boosting overall water availability.
