Data center guzzled 30 million gallons of water and nobody noticed for months – Ars Technica

In a report on Monday, The Information explained why the water-supply question is a problem for the entire AI industry to solve—not just data centers, which are already finding ways to reduce and reuse water.

Citing research from a water technology company called Xylem, The Information reported that “the water toll of AI is far greater at semiconductor factories and the power plants electrifying chipmaking and computing than at the data centers themselves.”

However, as hyperscale data centers from tech giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft perhaps increasingly rely on power for cooling, the demand for water to cool down power plants will explode, experts suggest. And it doesn’t help that 40 percent of data centers and 29 percent of global chip fabs are built in “water-stressed” areas, Xylem reported.

Over the next 25 years, “AI-associated water use will more than double,” Xylem forecasted.

One solution to make up some of the difference could be to recover about 30 percent of the world’s water that is lost to leaks and theft, The Information reported.

That’s why some AI firms, like Microsoft, are paying to install “high-tech water leak detection systems” built by FIDO Tech.

By feeding sensor data into AI, advanced smart meters can detect and “isolate” leaks, speeding up repairs and preventing excess water loss. Such smart meters can also help identify where fixes are most needed, as many areas scrambling to fix their water systems are “cash-starved” and cannot cover all the needed repairs, The Information reported.

In drought-stricken Georgia, QTS claimed it’s also exploring alternative water solutions, such as capturing storm water or roof runoff.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced in March an initiative to “focus on… innovative water infrastructure” to strengthen water systems across the US, with early efforts focusing particularly on rural areas where budgets might be most stretched. However, the water sector isn’t completely sure yet how using AI might impact the nation’s systems and is not rushing to implement tech companies’ solutions.