… Even though Arizona will soon be home to nearly 200 data centers and chip factories, these facilities have not yet caused a major bump in the state’s water consumption. The companies’ precise effects on water supply are hard to discern due to their own secrecy about their water usage, but the aggregate picture suggests they have found ways to minimize their impact, whether through new cooling technologies or by recycling water on-site. And despite local backlash, water experts and many local officials appear to have largely made their peace with the industry’s arrival — and with the Phoenix region’s emergence as one of the nation’s largest AI infrastructure clusters. … Arizona is home to more than 150 data centers, according to an analysis from the Data Center Map, an industry resource. 

Other data center water use news:

• Denver Business Journal (Colo.): Data center moratorium is already functionally in effect, city officials say
• Food and Water Watch: News release: Comprehensive report details case for nationwide moratorium on new data centers​