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As the AI industry continues to grow, so does the demand for data centers that power increasingly advanced models. While these facilities enable better AI performance, they also raise concerns about their environmental impact, especially water consumption. This leads to an important question: how much water does a data center use?
According to the BBC, a large data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day to cool its computer systems. In the United States alone, data centers used an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, with demand expected to rise significantly by 2028.
So why do data centers need so much water, and what are the consequences of this growing demand? Let’s take a closer look.
Key Takeaways:
AI data centers use large amounts of water, mainly for cooling.
Growing AI adoption is driving higher water consumption and environmental concerns.
Greater transparency and investment in sustainable cooling technologies can help reduce the environmental impact of future data centers.
Why Do AI Companies Need Massive Data Centers?
The 2020s have marked a period of rapid AI advancement. Major technology companies such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI are competing to develop more powerful AI systems. To support these technologies, they rely on data centers that provide the computing power needed to process data, train complex models, and securely store sensitive information.
Data Center Map in Virginia | Source: Data Center Map
Google alone operates around 130 data centers worldwide, spanning the United States, Finland, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, and South Africa. In the U.S., some of its largest campuses are located in Northern Virginia, Iowa, Arizona, and South Carolina.
While the expansion of data centers supports both traditional cloud services and AI innovation, it comes at a high environmental cost. These facilities require vast amounts of land, electricity, and cooling resources, making water consumption one of the industry’s growing concerns.
You may wonder why data centers require so much water and how much water does a data center use. The answer lies in two main categories of water consumption: direct and indirect usage.
Direct and indirect data center water consumption | Source: Bluefield Research
Direct Water Usage
Most direct data center water consumption comes from cooling systems. Data centers generate enormous amounts of heat, and water is often used to keep servers operating at safe temperatures.
Water-based cooling systems can be highly effective, but they are also resource-intensive. Studies estimate that around 80% of the water used for cooling evaporates during the process, while the remainder is discharged into municipal wastewater systems.
Not all facilities rely entirely on water cooling, however. Some data centers use free-air or even recycled wastewater for cooling systems.
Indirect Water Usage
Data centers also consume water indirectly through their electricity demand. AI workloads require vast amounts of power, and many forms of electricity generation depend on water for cooling and operation.
As a result, the water footprint of a data center extends beyond its facility walls. According to research, indirect water consumption linked to electricity generation for U.S. data centers reaches nearly 800 billion liters annually, highlighting the broader environmental impact of the infrastructure.
How Much Water Does a Data Center Use for AI Technology Compared to Traditional Computing Services?
AI data centers and traditional data centers share many of the same core components, including CPUs, servers, storage systems, and networking equipment. However, the intensive workloads for AI training and inference demand far greater computing power, making AI facilities more resource-intensive.
Traditional data centers already consume substantial amounts of water for cooling, but AI-focused facilities are expected to use significantly more. Research suggests that by 2028, AI data centers could consume up to 1,068 billion liters of water annually, representing an increase in demand compared to conventional infrastructure.
The impact can also be seen at the application level. According to AP News, every 5 to 50 prompts submitted to ChatGPT may require roughly 500 milliliters of water to support AI operations. While that amount may seem small for an individual user, it becomes substantial when multiplied across hundreds of millions of AI interactions each day.
Real-World Examples of Data Center Water Controversies
The growing water demand of data centers has sparked debate. Here are some of the most common concerns surrounding data center expansion.
Data center relationship with local communities | Source: Bluefield Research
1. Water Scarcity and Contamination in the Local Area
Many data centers rely on local water supplies for cooling. While they account for less than 1% of national water withdrawals, their impact can be significant in certain communities. In areas such as rural Georgia, residents have raised concerns that large-scale water use could reduce water pressure and strain local water resources.
Another major concern is the lack of transparency surrounding data center operations. Many technology companies disclose only limited information about their water, energy, and air emissions, making it difficult for communities to fully assess the environmental impact of nearby facilities.
3. Growing Calls for Renewable Energy and Regulation
As concerns about water and energy consumption grow, communities and environmental groups are urging companies and governments to take stronger action.
They are calling for greater use of renewable energy, stricter regulations, better water management, and increased transparency to reduce the environmental impact of expanding AI infrastructure.
After learning how much water does a data center use, it’s clear that the rapid growth of AI comes with environmental trade-offs. While AI technologies continue to improve productivity, the infrastructure behind them requires significant amounts of water and energy. As this awareness grows, many companies are exploring more sustainable ways to build and operate data centers.
As users, we can be more mindful about how we use AI. While AI can be helpful for certain tasks, excessive or unnecessary use can increase demand on data centers and the resources they consume.
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