A 2021 study found that many American data centers depend on stressed water systems, and the water footprint of these centers could put pressure on local watersheds. Microsoft reportedly needed 11.5 million gallons of water in July last year in West Des Moines for its three data centers, with the city under abnormally dry conditions. The company has been consistently in the top three water consumers in the district since 2020. The local water utility in West Des Moines has stated that it will only consider future data center projects if they can significantly reduce peak water usage.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft's data centers in West Des Moines, Iowa, used massive amounts of water last year to cool the servers training OpenAI's ChatGPT-4, amidst a three-year drought, causing concerns about the environmental impact of AI.
- Microsoft increased worldwide water consumption by 34 percent to almost 1.7 billion gallons annually last year, likely due to increased AI training. Google used 5.6 billion gallons last year, a 20 percent jump also likely attributable to machine learning.
- Many American data centers depend on stressed water systems, and the water footprint of data centers is so large that they have the potential to put pressure on local watersheds. This is particularly concerning in areas already experiencing droughts and water stress.
- Microsoft and other tech companies will need to balance the water needs of their data centers with those of local residents and the environment, particularly in the face of climate change and increasing demand for AI technologies.