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A federal report estimates US data center water use tripled to 17 billion gallons
US data centers reportedly tripled their annual water consumption to an estimated 17 billion gallons in 2023, with electricity generation accounting for over 80% of the total.
This growth puts data-center expansion in direct competition with municipal and industrial water demands, especially in constrained areas. Furthermore, the lack of federal tracking and confidentiality clauses in municipal agreements obscure facility-level water usage, complicating local planning and litigation.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
US data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, roughly three times their 2014 usage.
Indirect water consumption from electricity generation accounts for more than 80% of a data center's total water footprint.
Federal tracking of data-center water usage is fragmented, relying on state-level reporting and non-disclosure agreements that limit transparency.
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