The builders of the Project Blue data center improperly used Tucson drinking water for dust control after beginning construction last month, according to City Manager Tim Thomure.

In a letter dated May 4, Thomure notified project developers Beale Infrastructure that the city had revoked a temporary water meter issued to the company’s contractor, Ames Construction.

“As you are well aware, the City of Tucson Mayor and Council unanimously rejected any involvement with, or support for, the Project Blue Data Center Development. As such, the City of Tucson also rejected any use of our water resources for this facility,” he wrote.

That vote happened in August, leaving Project Blue without a water source and leaving Pima County to hammer out agreements with the project’s developers, “To our amazement, we were alerted to the fact that your contractor obtained a construction meter from within the Tucson Water service area, and transported that water out of our service area for use on the Project Blue site. This was completely unacceptable and was terminated by Tucson Water immediately,” Thomure wrote.