AI is driving a boom in data centers, and with it growing demands on California’s water resources. Developers are building more data centers alongside the hundreds already operating in California. This report evaluates how to better manage their water impacts on local communities and the environment. Servers in data centers generate heat and typically use water for cooling. Concern over data center water use is growing. Yet, there is very little understanding of how much water they actually use, where their water use may cause negative impacts, and what measures the state, local leaders, and the industry can take to manage it. To respond to this growing challenge, our team reviewed current knowledge on data center water use, mapped the policy and regulatory framework for direct data center water use in California, and developed recommendations.

Other data center water use news:

• KOAT (Albuquerque, N.M.): Bernalillo County approves data center accountability measure​