A nationwide expansion of controversial and resource-guzzling artificial intelligence data centers has reached Los Angeles County, and the wave has cities in the region grappling with questions over their impact. In addition to data centers’ energy demands, critics highlighted concerning impacts to water, pollutants from backup generators and data centers creating heat islands. … Underpinning the data center question is the amount of energy they use and the impact on the environment as they power vast servers needed for modern tech life. Many data centers use water for cooling. That same size data center may consume about 40 acre-feet of water per year, the equivalent of the water use of 120 households. 

Other data center water use news:

• The Desert Review (Brawley, Calif.): IID candidates debate data centers, water rights and accountability at forum