The demand for water by data centers is projected to escalate significantly, potentially reaching between 697 million and 1.45 billion gallons per day by 2030 in the U.S. This information comes from a study led by Shaolei Ren, an associate professor at the University of California, Riverside. The findings highlight a looming challenge, indicating that the water requirements of data centers may rival the daily supply of New York City.
Data centers, which operate continuously, face overheating issues due to dense server installations and require efficient cooling methods. Liquid cooling, while effective, is highly water-intensive, with some state-of-the-art facilities potentially using over 8 million gallons per day during peak demand. This peak usage poses a significant challenge for local public water systems, which are designed to meet maximum demand consistently.
In response to these challenges, tech companies are investing heavily in upgrading water infrastructure in partnership with local communities, often committing hundreds of millions of dollars to avoid straining public resources. Despite these efforts, most operators report only their overall annual water consumption, complicating the assessment of peak demand and its impact on local systems.