DATA VS. DESERT PART 2 | Water Required: Why data centers use so much water in Southern Nevada
Rapid data center expansion in Southern Nevada is raising concerns about water and energy resources, particularly in a desert region facing extreme stress. Data centers require significant water for cooling, leading to calls for new policies to manage this demand.
KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas investigates the increasing water and energy demands of data centers in Southern Nevada. Drake York, 24, who runs a YouTube channel called Pushing Buttons, expressed concern over the resources required by data centers, especially in an area facing water shortages. Data centers need constant cooling to prevent servers from overheating, a process that is often water-intensive, particularly in desert climates using evaporative cooling techniques.
Climate Reporter Geneva Zoltek highlighted that a single data center could use millions of gallons of water annually. For instance, the Nova data center in North Las Vegas used 551,000 gallons of water in 2025 alone, although this is a fraction of legacy data centers' usage. Eric Henzel, a Desert Research Institute scientist, notes the difficulty in obtaining specific data center water usage numbers. According to an NV Energy planning document, upcoming data centers in Nevada are projected to consume over 3 billion gallons of water by 2033, an amount equivalent to the annual drinking water for 240,000 people. This includes both direct and indirect water use.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority addressed this issue in 2021 by pausing the traditional evaporative cooling method for new industries, including data centers, hotels, and industrial facilities. This mandates that newer projects comply with more water-efficient cooling. Residents like Drake York advocate for data centers to utilize renewable energy and non-potable water sources from Lake Mead to mitigate the environmental impact, urging local governments to implement policies to manage this critical resource.