Why data centers use so much water
WSLS 10 examines why conventional data center cooling systems can consume millions of gallons of water daily, particularly as servers generate substantial heat. Munters, which operates a cooling-equipment plant in Daleville, is developing waterless systems that reduce water use but require more electricity.
WSLS 10 toured Munters' manufacturing plant in Daleville, where Mike Herwald explained how the company builds cooling equipment for data centers. The facility could eventually employ as many as 1,000 workers, and Munters says data center cooling is a major part of its business as artificial intelligence and other technologies drive new construction.
The report explains that evaporative cooling can require more than 2 million gallons of water per day for a 100-megawatt data center, with a potential future facility in Daleville consuming as much as 8 million gallons daily. Munters is increasingly shifting toward waterless cooling systems, but those systems use more electricity, creating a tradeoff between water consumption and the environmental impacts of power generation. The report also raises questions about whether infrastructure can sustain growing data center demand amid drought and climate concerns.