By The LA Times
- The AI-driven boom in data centers is putting growing demands on water in California and the Southwest.
- New legislation in California would require data centers to report how much water they use.
- Currently, some companies report how much water their data centers are consuming, but others do not.
Companies that run data centers are facing increasing scrutiny for guzzling water as the rise of artificial intelligence and massive investment in cloud computing drive a construction boom. The centers, which generate lots of heat, can require huge amounts of water to cool their servers and interiors.
Yet, while water needs soar, many companies do not disclose how much they use.
Google, for one, does list water data for three dozen data centers around the world in its latest annual environmental report, saying a single site can use more than 3 million gallons per day, with some using far less, depending on cooling design and size. But most of the data centers in the report were not in the dry western United States, where much of the industry’s build-out is happening, and where water is already under stress.
California legislators are taking an initial step toward tackling the water problem by requiring data centers to report their water use annually. The legislation, approved this month, is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.
