The Real vs. Imagined Problems with Data Centers’ Water Use (opens in new tab)

The data center water issues are real – but they aren’t what you think. Too often, I hear people say the number one reason they’re against data center development is water use. Heatmap’s data shows water consumption is historically the reason cited most often by activists when opposing projects. This complaint, they often say, is rooted in the fear that this nascent buildout of AI infrastructure will simply draw so much H2O it will leave little liquid left for the rest of us. I spent weeks tr...