Opinion: Data centers must disclose how much water they're consuming

"In Silicon Valley, more than 55 data centers operate in the city of Santa Clara alone, and more have already been approved, according to the city. As generative AI floods into multiple aspects of our lives (work, health care, education, entertainment, access to information, companionship, national security, etc.), the need for powerful data centers grows. Some are cooled with air; some use recycled water; many, however, require drinking-quality water for cooling."

"(And cooling is only part of the demand; ultra-pure water, for example, is needed for the manufacturing of the chips used in the servers running in data centers, and, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, "[c]reating ultrapure water is a highly water-intensive process" itself.) A 2024 report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory noted that in 2014 data centers "consumed 21.2 billion liters of water," and that, in 2028, data centers optimized for AI are anticipated to require "between 60 and 124 billion liters.""

"In some parts of the world, the rising demand for water for data centers has clashed with the demand for drinking water for people. Protests and boycotts related to data center water consumption have taken place in India, Uruguay, Chile, and Spain, among other places. In the Spanish region of Aragon, one activist collective calls itself "Tu Nube Seca Mi Rio": "Your Cloud Is Drying My River.""

Expanding generative AI services is driving rapid growth in data centers, especially in Silicon Valley where dozens operate in single cities. Many data centers require large volumes of high-quality or ultrapure water for cooling and chip manufacturing, while some use air or recycled sources. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report estimated data center water use at 21.2 billion liters in 2014 and projects AI-optimized centers may need between 60 and 124 billion liters by 2028. Rising industrial water demand has sparked protests in multiple countries as communities confront competition with drinking-water needs. Corporate sustainability reports often lack detailed, specific disclosures about water impacts.

Read at The Mercury News