When it comes to total water use, AI data centers are a drop in the bucket
Summary
A new report shows that AI data centers use far less water overall than many expect, especially when compared to large water uses like agriculture or lawn care. However, some data centers still place heavy demands on local water supplies, especially in areas with limited water.Key Facts
- Amazon data centers used about 2.5 billion gallons of water worldwide in 2025.
- The US used 117 trillion gallons of water in 2015, much more than AI data centers’ usage.
- Google, Microsoft, and Meta data centers withdrew billions of gallons of water each in 2024.
- A 2021 study estimated US data centers used 163 billion gallons of water, including indirect use.
- Texas data centers alone used 25 to 49 billion gallons in 2024, potentially growing to 399 billion gallons by 2030.
- Some data centers consume a large share of local water, like a Meta center using 10% of a county’s supply in Georgia.
- About 40% of US data centers are located in areas with high water scarcity.
- Companies like Amazon and Google are working to improve water efficiency and fund projects to replenish water supplies.
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