On Monday, SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development. It isn’t the only tech company trying to assess how water scarcity might impact its business. Water use is emerging as one of the most contentious data center issues. A recent Gallup poll found that seven out of 10 Americans are opposed to data center development, with water scarcity ranking as the top resource concern. Facing increasingly fierce resistance, some tech companies are scrambling to assure the public that they’re facing the issue head-on. … Google is taking a different approach … the company rolled out a series of water-related commitments to communities where it has data centers, along with funding announcements for water-related projects in the US.

Other data center water use news:

• Cowboy State Daily (Cheyenne, Wyo.): Cheyenne planners recommend denial for most of Microsoft’s data center expansion
• Axios: Google pushes water standards amid data center backlash
• Google: Blog: Google’s water stewardship commitments for local communities