tech
How some data center operators are tackling their water use problems
Hyperscalers have come under scrutiny for their impact on water quality and availability.
TL;DR
- SpaceX and other tech companies are acknowledging water conditions as potential constraints on data center development.
- Water scarcity is a major concern for the public regarding data center expansion, with seven out of 10 Americans opposing it.
- Data centers primarily use water for cooling via techniques like evaporative cooling, which can consume billions of gallons annually.
- Hyperscale data centers could consume up to 33 billion gallons of water by 2030 if heavily reliant on evaporative cooling.
- Some tech giants like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Oracle are moving away from evaporative cooling to conserve water.
- Google is pledging to replenish more freshwater than consumed, scale up reclaimed water use, and disclose annual water usage.
- Evaporative cooling, while water-intensive, can free up power and be beneficial in areas with abundant water and stressed grids.
- Avoiding evaporative cooling could increase emissions if data centers rely on dirtier energy sources for cooling.
- Despite efforts, companies like Microsoft still face rising water use, and Google has halted projects due to water concerns.
- Public pushback and regulation are seen as crucial drivers for tech companies to develop smarter, more efficient data center designs.