Why Do Data Centers Need Water? Especially Billions of Gallons?

Data centers house thousands of servers that generate a tremendous amount of heat. Without cooling, these machines would overheat and fail.

That’s where water comes in. Many data centers use evaporative cooling or closed-loop cooling systems to keep temperatures stable.

Water is often more efficient than air cooling because it transfers heat more effectively. This helps reduce energy consumption and improves energy efficiency.

Cold water or liquid coolant is circulated through heat exchangers to absorb hot air from server racks, which is then cooled again for reuse.

Most data centers use water in some form, especially large data centers operated by major tech companies like Google.

In 2023, Google reported consuming over 6 billion gallons (22.7 billion liters) of water to cool all its data centers. Water consumption is used as part of a strategy to balance energy usage and environmental impact.

The amount varies by region and cooling method. Some facilities use over 1 million gallons (3.8 million liters) per day.

In 2020, U.S. data centers collectively used an estimated 174 billion gallons (659 billion liters) of water, mostly for cooling. That’s enough to fill over 260,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The United States leads the world in data center deployment. As of early 2024, there were more than 5,300 data centers in the U.S., spread across nearly every state.

Virginia, Texas, and California have the highest concentrations, largely due to connectivity, power access, and favorable climate conditions.

Many new data center projects are planned in water stressed regions, increasing the urgency for better water management practices.

From the outside, data centers resemble giant industrial warehouses. They’re often windowless and can span hundreds of thousands of square feet. Inside, rows of server racks line climate-controlled rooms, with hot air containment systems, cooling towers, and backup generators.

The facilities also feature massive power and water infrastructure, including tanks, heat exchangers, and pipes that circulate water or liquid coolant.

In some locations, these buildings blend into suburban business parks, while others are in remote areas optimized for energy efficiency and water conservation.

Water cooling systems help lower carbon emissions by reducing reliance on fossil fuel power plants for energy-intensive air cooling.

But that benefit comes with tradeoffs. Cooling towers evaporate water during the process, meaning data centers rank among the top 10 water-consuming industries in the U.S.

To reduce impact, some companies are using recycled water, reclaimed water, or non-potable water to meet their cooling needs. Others are investing in immersion cooling and water usage effectiveness metrics to improve water management.

Data center operators are working with government officials and local water supply agencies to ensure long-term sustainability. Water availability and water quality are now key considerations for any new data center project.

The goal is to cool data centers efficiently while conserving natural water resources. Solutions include using surface water instead of potable water, capturing and reusing heated water, and operating with a constant supply of cooler air in naturally cooler climates.

As the data center industry continues to grow, managing water usage will be just as critical as managing energy. It’s a balance between supporting the digital world and protecting our planet’s most valuable resources.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.