Data Center Operators Are Trying to Fix Their Water Use Problems
Data center operators like Google, Microsoft, and SpaceX are actively addressing increasing public and regulatory scrutiny over their substantial water consumption, primarily for cooling. Companies are implementing various strategies, from moving away from evaporative cooling to investing in local water replenishment projects and scaling up recycled water use. These efforts aim to mitigate the environmental impact and prevent water scarcity from hindering future data center development.
Data center operators are under increasing pressure to address their significant water usage, which has become a major concern for both the public and regulators. A recent Gallup poll indicated that seven out of 10 Americans oppose data center development, with water scarcity being a top issue. Companies like SpaceX have even amended their public offerings to acknowledge water conditions as a potential constraint on development.
Several tech giants are adopting different strategies to tackle this problem. Microsoft, OpenAI, and Oracle have announced plans to move away from evaporative cooling, a water-intensive method, including for Oracle and OpenAI's Stargate expansion in water-stressed regions of Texas. In contrast, Google is pursuing a data-driven approach, making commitments to replenish more freshwater than it consumes, scale up recycled water use, and disclose annual water usage. Ben Townsend, Google's global head of infrastructure and sustainability, emphasizes that a one-size-fits-all strategy for cooling is ineffective, given varying regional water availability.
Experts like Shaolei Ren, an engineering professor at UC Riverside, highlight the local nature of water scarcity and the complex trade-offs between water and energy consumption. While reducing water use can increase power demand, potentially raising emissions if dirty energy sources are used, industry consultant Priscilla Johnson, formerly Microsoft's water strategy director, stresses the need for smarter design driven by public pushback and regulation. Despite these efforts, some companies, like Microsoft, still project significant increases in future water use, and past incidents, such as Google halting a data center project in Chile over water permit issues, underscore the ongoing challenges. Google also faced a 2021 lawsuit in Oregon funded by the company to prevent disclosure of water usage for an expansion.