With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the world’s data centers have become some of the largest consumers of water. These massive facilities use millions of liters daily for cooling, raising concerns that this growing demand could further strain already scarce water resources.
The Hidden Water Cost of AI
Few users realize that each AI chatbot response, on average, consumes about 500 milliliters of clean drinking water. While half a liter may seem negligible, the number becomes alarming when multiplied by the billions of queries asked daily worldwide. Research shows that a single data center uses at least 200 million liters of water every day. This equals about 9 billion liters per month, or over 100 billion liters annually—enough to provide drinking water to millions of people in a large city for months.
How Data Centers Use Water
Thousands of powerful servers inside data centers run continuously, generating massive amounts of heat. To prevent overheating and maintain performance, water-based cooling systems are widely used. The world’s largest AI data hubs are located in countries like the United States, China, Ireland, Spain, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Ironically, many of these nations are already grappling with water scarcity crises, raising questions about sustainability.
Impact on Agriculture and Drinking Water
Experts caution that this trend is putting direct pressure on agriculture and drinking water reserves. As global temperatures rise and populations grow, diverting such vast amounts of clean water to data centers could worsen shortages in vulnerable regions. Environmentalists have called for urgent international regulations to prevent unchecked water use by the tech industry. They warn that without global action, communities could face deeper crises in access to safe drinking water.
Calls for Global Action
Campaigners argue that international laws must be introduced to stop water wastage linked to AI-driven technologies. They warn that if left unregulated, the race for technological advancement could come at the cost of human survival.
