Can Page’s infrastructure and environment handle a gigawatt data center? The proposed Huntley LLC data center would consume as much electricity as a major power plant while demanding millions of gallons of water daily in one of America’s most water-stressed regions. … The Colorado River system, which supplies Page through Lake Powell, faces its worst crisis in recorded history. … A large data center could double the community’s water demand. … Unlike agricultural or municipal water use, data center cooling water is typically not returned to the system in reusable form. The water evaporates through cooling towers or becomes too thermally polluted for other uses, representing a permanent withdrawal from the Colorado River system.

Other data center water news:

• Reuters: Sustainable switch: AI’s energy and water use problem
• Herald/Review (Sierra Vista, Ariz.): Project Blue data center pushes ahead in Pima County promising new low-water cooling tech