"Data centers, the engines of this transformation, consume vast amounts of water and energy. A single hyperscale data center consumes up to 5 million gallons of potable water every day. In Phoenix, 58 centers together demand more than 170 million gallons daily, enough to serve up to several hundred thousand households. This is the internet's hidden water footprint, amplified by AI, cloud computing, and data-heavy services."
"Training a single large AI model in a Microsoft data center can require about 185,000 gallons of clean water. By 2027, AI-related data centers could consume 1.7 trillion gallons annually, nearly matching the domestic water use of some developed nations. Most data centers still rely on evaporative cooling, which consumes massive volumes and discharges chemical-laden wastewater. The challenge is not only scale but also geography."
A single hyperscale data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of potable water per day. In Phoenix, 58 centers demand more than 170 million gallons daily, enough for several hundred thousand households. Training one large AI model in a Microsoft data center can require about 185,000 gallons of clean water. By 2027, AI-related data centers could consume 1.7 trillion gallons annually, approaching the domestic water use of developed nations. Most data centers use evaporative cooling that consumes water and generates chemical-laden wastewater. Over 40% of U.S. data centers lie in water-stressed basins. Investors now track water use per AI training cycle and communities are seeking moratoria. The industry requires localized reporting and tangible water stewardship; existing technologies can support sustainable scaling.
Read at Fast Company
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