Virginia data centers consume too much water, and things will only get worse with AI

[Alfonso Maruccia]

A thirsty potato: According to private records obtained by the Financial Times through freedom of information requests, data center facilities in Virginia have experienced a significant increase in water consumption in recent years. The rise of generative AI could exacerbate this issue, potentially contributing to an environmental disaster in the making.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia, hosts the largest data center market in the world. The state is home to around 300 facilities, according to recent data, and these centers require vast amounts of electricity and water to keep global internet services running. Water usage, in particular, is becoming an increasingly alarming issue.

The Financial Times reports that Virginia's data centers consumed at least 1.85 billion US gallons of water in 2023, compared to 1.13 billion gallons in 2019. This information is based on data provided by six water authorities in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Fauquier counties, a Northern Virginia region known as "Data Center Alley." Additional water utilities in the region did not provide data for the report.

Data Center Alley hosts major operations for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. These facilities require water either to cool computing equipment or for power generation, and some of the largest centers are located in parts of Virginia that are facing droughts or other water-related crises.

According to a representative from the Piedmont Environmental Council, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization, the rapid expansion of the data center industry could be unsustainable for the environment. Loudoun County officials confirmed that the amount of land used for new data centers has more than doubled since 2019, and additional facilities are currently under construction.

Most of Virginia is experiencing "abnormally" dry conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor, yet a significant number of Big Tech data centers are still located in water-stressed areas. Microsoft reported that 42 percent of the water consumed in its facilities in 2023 came from such regions, while Google stated that 15 percent of its global freshwater usage occurred in areas already facing water scarcity.

Amazon did not provide specific data on the issue but stated that it is committed to becoming a "good water steward." The company aims to be "water positive" by 2030, returning more water to communities than it consumes in its facilities. Microsoft is also developing "zero-water cooling technologies" for its Virginia data centers, while Google did not comment.

Water is just one of the many issues arising from the explosive growth of the data center industry worldwide. With generative AI services and new AI algorithms being developed by nearly every major IT corporation, AI-focused data centers could soon consume significant amounts of electricity, water, and other precious resources, while the broader environment bears the consequences.

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Virginia data centers consume too much water, and things will only get worse with AI

 

[Kirby1]

It would seem to me that if the water is just being used for cooling, it should be in a closed system and constantly re-used.

 

[Dimitrios]

I hope AI is worth it (I'm being smart), we all know now Google AI is used as a propaganda tool for many things including Orange man bad and the shooting "never" happened. Fakebook AI for a while banned many Orange man pictures, but now claim it was a "mistake". I'm not happy with the direction that AI is going. Here's another example, ask it what happened to Obama's chef Tafari Campbell. Then separately search for Tom Fitton's (Judicial Watch) story and FOIA police report on what happened and the crazy disturbing details that will make your jaw drop.

 

[yRaz]

It would seem to me that if the water is just being used for cooling, it should be in a closed system and constantly re-used.

They use evaporative coolers

 

[Kirby1]

They use evaporative coolers

No they absolutely do not. They would fry their hardware if they did. An evaporatative cooler, or "swamp cooler" as they are often called, makes the air humid. Humidity and electronics do not go well together, obviously, but more than that; evaporatative coolers only work in some areas where the air is particularly dry.

 

[yRaz]

No they absolutely do not. They would fry their hardware if they did. An evaporatative cooler, or "swamp cooler" as they are often called, makes the air humid. Humidity and electronics do not go well together, obviously, but more than that; evaporatative coolers only work in some areas where the air is particularly dry.

They use evaporative coolers on the the "radiator" side of a closed loop system

 

[kiwigraeme]

The pricing of water from the ground, not city system is out of whack in many countries. Allowing outsiders to move in on cheap water grab permits and just pillage. Often seriously under reporting. Happened in my country, and has happened in the SW of USA , whole towns lost there water table. Company doesn't care, moves of , those promised jobs that never matched amount promised, all disappear. So little given back to raped community.

When you export a kilo of steel, wheat, beef you are actually exporting huge amount of water.
Lots of wars over water. Lots of agreement between countries regarding rivers that flow from one to the other

Anyway all old rules , permits etc should be thrown out and reflect real world costs

Just be grateful you can go to your tap and drink clean water

In my city it's more acceptable to let your lawns brown in summer, those with lush grass really stand out. Plus a lot more grasses resistant to low water

Water is more important than flushing toilets and electricity.To clean yourself , your food, to cook. Electricity can be replaced with wood and gas stoves. Toilet, just dig a big hole in backyard

No water some companies go out of business
No cheap electricity, some companies go out of business - Crypto is dependant on power prices - Aluminium and Steel on water and electricity etc

This all assumes companies follow disposal rules as well - In my travels in China I saw rivers with bubbles of all colours , whole big rivers a mass of floating bark filled with tannin .
One advantage of EVs less heavy metals/contaminants from fuel , catalytic converters , oil etc washed into storm drains in rains, then into rivers. Cities with money don't filter 10 thousand storm drains, they dredge the river to clean them up - Jake brakes on trucks , and motorbikes sound so loud now as most cars and SUVs are quite quiet

 

[Kirby1]

They use evaporative coolers on the the "radiator" side of a closed loop system

If true, that seems incredibly dumb and inefficient. It would be much better to just run the same water through the cooling system over and over, with a big reservoir to let it cool back down, like a giant AIO.

 

[yRaz]

If true, that seems incredibly dumb and inefficient. It would be much better to just run the same water through the cooling system over and over, with a big reservoir to let it cool back down, like a giant AIO.

it's cheaper to use water in evaporatative coolers than it is to use electricity to run AC compressors. It's a major part of the problem plaguing data centers. It's why Musk had to build a lake near his new AI data center in texas

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

it's cheaper to use water in evaporatative coolers than it is to use electricity to run AC compressors. It's a major part of the problem plaguing data centers. It's why Musk had to build a lake near his new AI data center in texas

You are correct. If the data centers have enormous heat, they would be using water chillers, cooling towers and other fluid coolers. Many different kinds of water chillers commercially. Cooling towers do require make up water and that's a lot of water in one part.

 

[brucek]

This will net out just fine once we dispose of the humans replaced by AI. I like that we're starting in the DC area.

 

[seeprime]

It would seem to me that if the water is just being used for cooling, it should be in a closed system and constantly re-used.

If it is necessary to use clean water, recycle it through reverse osmosis units. Our drinking water is filteted that way. It works and only costs less than a nickle per gallon. Also, be more efficient in its use. There must be waste in the current processes that can be eliminated.

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

Right now NOVa residents biggest complaint about these centers is the noise. Whatever happened to the idea of submerging them underwater offshore?

 

[Joey Rakas]

Trying to make a funny and or serious comment is so difficult anymore lol. But no way could it be possible that the billionaire class of humans who are pushing particular agenda's(and have the power to do so), are actually the ones causing the majority of the issues.........certainty all the fuels burned in attempt to send a rocket or satellite into space, the 9000+ airliners in the air at any given time burning up jet fuel, the EV push, and data centers bigger then small cities couldn't be effecting the climate whatsoever....... right? One day good people, it's going to be glorious. Thanks for the article! While it's old news to some, I am sure plenty out there have no idea how deceptive this class of people are. God speed.

 

[Uncle Al]

They simply should be required to recycle their water in-house and quit using public supply .... it's been done other places so why not here?

 

[GABulldog]

Another case of not using forward planning. Lets just do it now and worry about the problems later

 

[toooooot]

Does it not stay in the system, though? Where does it go if it just runs in a loop?
I would not think they flush it in the toilet every day.
Assuming bigger amount of it indeed goes for cooling, why can they not use a solution that can can be used for many years, just like AIOs and mixes for PC water cooling have?

 

[toooooot]

Trying to make a funny and or serious comment is so difficult anymore lol. But no way could it be possible that the billionaire class of humans who are pushing particular agenda's(and have the power to do so), are actually the ones causing the majority of the issues.........certainty all the fuels burned in attempt to send a rocket or satellite into space, the 9000+ airliners in the air at any given time burning up jet fuel, the EV push, and data centers bigger then small cities couldn't be effecting the climate whatsoever....... right? One day good people, it's going to be glorious. Thanks for the article! While it's old news to some, I am sure plenty out there have no idea how deceptive this class of people are. God speed.

The thing I respect them the least for is when they push for green regulations and changes while traveling alone on their jets, yachts, and living in such large castles that could house hundreds of people.
No, I am not against rich people. I just think that someone who has a personal yacht and a couple of planes should not be speaking of these things. Lead by example, I feel like this expression was completely forgotten.
It literally looks like mockery when, not other, these people speak about this subject. Robbers against robberies, thieves against theft, liars against lying. And people who alone pollute more than thousands of people.
They should enjoy their wealth but keep their shameless mouths shut.

 

[Nanochip]

Water isn’t the only issue there’s also the electricity infrastructure that’s needed to support the data centers. New bulk power transmission lines are needed to bring the power into NoVA, who’s served by PJM interconnection system operator.

 

[noblody]

We could make good use of these data centers in my city. We have district heating so free hot water all year would be great . If they could provide some of the heat during the winter ...

 

[jcc5169]

You ignored Microsoft's huge data center presence in the Boydton, Virginia area, South Vurginia.

 

[bclaymiles]

Left out of this, and the Financial Times, stories - most of the data centers use recycled water from sewage plants.

https://siliconangle.com/2024/08/19...as-data-centers-water-consumption-skyrockets/

So the water "usage" is largely imaginary, since the water would otherwise just be sent straight to the Ocean via Chesapeake Bay.

Another hair-on-fire story that is actually a yawner.

 

[JamesBlond]

If AI companies pay 80% tax that will solve the problem, seeing as WEF say taxes will fix everything

 

[Angga B]

Look, I am against AI hysteria but saying that our current technology is not capable of recycling used water being used in datacenters, which not at all dirty at least compared to what could happen in sewers, do sounds like wacky agenda to me.

It's not rocket science for crying out loud!