Data centers meet resistance as AI boom strains water supplies

Data centers are facing mounting opposition from local communities on multiple fronts, as residents in South Korea and the United States raise concerns about safety, environmental impact, and water consumption. In Geumcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul, a 4.98-megawatt data center project less than 100 meters from an apartment complex has sparked a legal dispute, with the developer filing complaints against three residents who opposed the facility. Meanwhile, a Guardian analysis found that approximately two-thirds of 809 planned US data centers are being built in locations that have experienced drought conditions over the past year, raising alarms about water scarcity as large facilities can require up to 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling. The water footprint of artificial intelligence infrastructure has become a critical issue. Research published in Communications of the ACM by University of California, Riverside, estimates that each 100-word AI prompt consumes roughly 519 milliliters of water, nearly a standard water bottle. By 2027, global AI infrastructure is projected to consume between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters of water annually, equivalent to half the United Kingdom's yearly water withdrawal. Google's water consumption nearly doubled from 2021 to 2024, reaching approximately 8.1 billion gallons, while Microsoft reported a 34 percent year-on-year increase in 2022. The industry has acknowledged that approximately 42 percent of Microsoft's water consumption came from water-stressed regions, and Google reported 15 percent of its freshwater withdrawals from areas of high water scarcity. Despite these concerns, the data center industry argues that its water use remains a fraction of what larger consumers like agriculture require, and companies are investing in more efficient cooling technologies. However, experts warn that the construction boom is occurring in regions least equipped to handle additional water demand. In Utah, a massive 9-gigawatt facility called Stratos, backed by Kevin O'Leary, has faced fierce opposition from environmental groups concerned about the shrinking Great Salt Lake. Similar disputes have emerged in Chile, where Google paused a $200-million project over aquifer concerns, and Mexico, where Microsoft has secured water rights from an aquifer running a 60-million-liter annual deficit. Some states are now considering new restrictions, with California, Michigan, and Iowa mulling bills to require water use reporting, and New York planning an outright moratorium on data centers.