Water levels across the Great Lakes are falling just as US data centers move in

"The sign outside Tom Hermes's farmyard in Perkins Township in Ohio, a short drive south of the shores of Lake Erie, proudly claims that his family have farmed the land here since 1900. Today, he raises 130 head of cattle and grows corn, wheat, grass and soybeans on 1,200 acres of land. For his family, his animals and wider business, water is life."

"Although the company claims it uses a closed-loop, air-cooled system for cooling its computers that can reduce the need for water, artificial intelligence, machine-learning and other high power-demand processes do rely on water as a cooling agent. All the while, a 10-minute drive north, the shoreline of Lake Erie hasn't been this low in years. Water levels across all five Great Lakes have begun to drop in recent months as part of a long-term fall."

Tom Hermes farms 1,200 acres near Lake Erie, raising 130 cattle and growing corn, wheat, grass and soybeans, relying on water for his family and business. In May 2024 Aligned Data Centers began construction of a four-building, 200,000 sq ft NEO-01 data center adjacent to rented farmland, prompting local concern about water pressure and supply. The company says it uses a closed-loop, air-cooled system to reduce water needs, but AI, machine-learning and other high-power computing processes use water for cooling. Since 2019 the Great Lakes have lost two to four feet of water, with reduced ice cover increasing evaporation and exacerbating drought and warmer-water impacts that strain cities and agriculture.

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