Many data centers are located where water resources are limited

One-quarter of the world’s data centers are located in areas where water demand exceeds supply for at least one month each year, according to a new global analysis. Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology mapped data center locations against available water resources and found that, under a future climate scenario, the proportion of facilities in water-stressed areas could rise to one-third.

“These facilities are not landing in empty landscapes. They are landing on top of the water supply of cities and farms.” – Lorenzo Ros

Thousands of data centers worldwide provide the information storage and computing power for today’s artificial intelligence technologies. And these facilities consume large volumes of water to cool servers and prevent overheating. They use the same supplies as nearby communities and industries, including agriculture and manufacturing. Unlike energy, which can come from far away, water for these facilities comes from nearby rivers, lakes, and aquifers whose levels vary seasonally or annually. So, Lorenzo Rosa and colleagues wanted to create maps that visualize data center locations with both current and future differences between water availability and consumption.

“The energy footprint of data centers has been quantified in detail because electricity is metered and reported,” says Rosa, the corresponding and lead author of the study. “Water scarcity is measured locally, inconsistently, and often not at all. So, we built the map because it did not exist.”

The researchers mapped 9,347 operational data centers worldwide against local water availability and the current demand from cities and municipalities, agriculture, manufacturing, and power generation. Analysis of their maps found that:

• About 25% of data centers are in areas that experience water stress at least one month each year, and around 6% are in areas that are stressed most of the year.
• Cities and municipalities are the largest water users near 41% of data centers, and agriculture is the primary consumer near another 28%.

Reflecting on this information, Rosa says, “These facilities are not landing in empty landscapes. They are landing on top of the water supply of cities and farms.”

Then the researchers calculated water demand and supply in a future scenario. They used several climate models for global temperatures that are an average of 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) warmer than in 1900 — representing anywhere from 10 to 40 years from now. The results estimate that 33% of today’s data centers could be in regions where water demand will exceed supply. Most of the additional facilities affected by water stress are in the U.S., where 39% of the global total are already located.

The findings suggest that data centers could add pressure on water resources in areas already experiencing — or projected to experience — water stress. Whether scarcity translates into actual consequences for water users is uncertain and will require future studies. Nevertheless, the researchers say data center operations should consider local water management and infrastructure needs in long-term planning.

The authors acknowledge support from Saoradh Enterprise Partners LLC for access to the data center dataset.

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