Hot water
A new report from Next10 and Santa Clara University reveals that data center developers do not publicly disclose their water consumption in California. This lack of transparency, stemming from a fragmented policy landscape, poses significant risks as data centers expand into water-stressed areas such as the Central and Imperial Valleys.
A recent report by the think tank Next10 and researchers at Santa Clara University has highlighted a critical lack of transparency regarding water usage by data centers in California. The study found that data center operators are not required to publicly disclose their actual water consumption, a situation exacerbated by a fragmented system of state, federal, and local policies. This policy patchwork enables data center builders to avoid accountability for their significant water demands.
The report expresses concern as planned data center developments are increasingly targeting regions already reliant on overtapped groundwater and strained surface water resources. Specifically, the Central and Imperial Valleys of California are identified as areas facing potentially major impacts from this unchecked expansion. The researchers emphasize that understanding and regulating data center water usage is crucial, given the state's ongoing water challenges.
This finding underscores a broader environmental issue within the data center industry in California, where rapid growth is clashing with finite natural resources. The report implicitly calls for greater public disclosure and more cohesive regulatory frameworks to manage the environmental footprint of these essential technological infrastructures.