Data Center Power Needs Threaten Water Supplies in Stressed US Regions
A new Ceres report reveals electricity generation for data centers consumes 3.4 trillion gallons of water annually, often in drought-prone states.
The rapid growth of data centers across the United States is placing unprecedented demand on regional water supplies, not through direct facility cooling, but through the massive amounts of electricity required to keep them running.
According to a report released by the sustainability non-profit group Ceres, electricity generation to power data centers in seven key states accounts for approximately 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater use annually. That volume equals roughly 12 times the combined annual water usage of Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
The seven states analyzed — Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio and Arizona — host roughly half of all U.S. data centers.
While public discussion traditionally focuses on the water used directly inside facilities to cool computing servers, the Ceres study highlights the larger, indirect footprint created at the power plant level. Thermoelectric power generation, which relies on steam turbines, requires massive amounts of water to generate electricity and cool equipment.
The report found that 66% of the water-reliant power plants supplying electricity to these centers operate in regions facing medium-high to extremely high water stress. Additionally, 78% of all grid electricity across the analyzed states is produced using water-dependent generation methods.
Despite the heavy strain on resources, neither energy providers nor data center operators adequately account for the indirect water risks associated with high-density computing expansion. Most power producers cite artificial intelligence and data center expansion as primary drivers of rising grid demand, yet few incorporate water availability into their long-term growth assessments.
The findings come as local opposition to new facilities grows nationwide over concerns regarding energy costs, land use and resource depletion. The report urges power producers, facility operators, policymakers and investors to transition toward clean energy sources, adopt water-efficient generation systems and establish standards to protect municipal water supplies.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is Assistant Editor of EPOnline.com.
