U.S. Data Center Water Consumption Expected to Quadruple to 17 Billion Gallons by 2028

A report from the Kansas Health Institute states that U.S. data centers directly consumed approximately 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, with projections suggesting this could increase two to four times by 2028. Large data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, primarily for cooling purposes. Areas facing water scarcity are under greater pressure, as one-fifth of data centers were located in water-stressed regions in 2021. In some facilities, over half of the water used comes from municipal drinking water, and indirect water consumption from power generation is not included in the typical water usage metrics for data centers. Local governments are beginning to tighten approvals; Tucson, Arizona, rejected a data center related to Amazon last year, while Kansas City has required new projects to undergo city council approval this year and assess their impact on water resources and residents' electricity costs.

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