AI Data Centers’ Hidden Water Footprint

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AI Data Centers' Hidden Water Footprint

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The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly increasing the water footprint of data centers, with much of this consumption going unreported. While data centers directly use water for cooling their servers, a far larger amount is consumed indirectly by the power plants that generate the electricity these facilities require.

In 2023, U.S. data centers directly consumed an estimated 17.4 billion gallons of water, comparable to the annual use of about 160,000 American households. However, the power plants providing electricity to these data centers consumed roughly 211 billion gallons in the same year, indicating that indirect water usage is about 12 times greater than direct consumption. This indirect consumption often remains undisclosed in corporate sustainability reports, leading to a lack of transparency.

The demand for water is projected to rise dramatically. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that direct water consumption by U.S. data centers could increase to between 38 and 73 billion gallons annually by 2028. Globally, AI-related water consumption could reach 9.3 trillion liters, which is enough to cover the basic domestic water needs of over 1.3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa for a year.

The substantial increase in water usage is driven by the energy-intensive nature of AI, particularly the need for cooling systems to prevent servers from overheating. Companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have invested over $1 trillion in AI infrastructure since 2023, with an additional $745 billion expected in 2026 alone, further exacerbating water and energy demands. The shift to AI has also led to server rack loads surging from 3 kilowatts to as much as 150 kilowatts for AI inferencing, requiring more robust cooling solutions.

The issue is particularly acute in water-stressed regions, where many new AI data centers are being built. For instance, in 2025, Google’s data centers in The Dalles, Oregon, were responsible for nearly 40% of the city’s total water consumption. Local communities have expressed concerns, and in some areas, residents have reported low water pressure due to data center operations. Efforts are underway to push for greater transparency and regulation regarding data center water usage, with some legislators advocating for public disclosure of this data.

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