Google: Google’s Water Consumption in Data Centers Soars by 20%

The 2023 Google environmental report shows a considerable increase in data center water consumption. The company consumed an astounding 5.6 billion gallons of water in 2022, of which 5.2 billion were used solely for data centers. Compared to the previous year, this is 20% higher. Large data centers use a lot of water for cooling, highlighting their environmental impact. Google and other tech companies' AI arms race would undoubtedly increase data center water use.

AI-driven computational capability increased Google's water use by 20%. Experts question this growth's sustainability. Even with Google's promise to restore water usage, electrical and computer engineering associate professor Shaolei Ren doubts the increase's long-term feasibility. Ren says replacing water may improve the company's water accounting, but it's still consumed.

Google aims to replace 120% of its office and data center freshwater by 2030. The corporation barely replaces 6% of its water, according to the research. The vast majority of the water used by Google is regarded as "potable" and safe for consumption. Google says 82% of their 2022 freshwater withdrawals come from low-water-stress regions. The company is looking for watershed health partnerships for 18%. However, water shortages may boost opposition to water-intensive initiatives.

Google has changed its strategy due to water shortage. The Mesa, Arizona, data center will use "air-cooled technology" instead of vast amounts of water. Meta, another internet giant developing a data center in Arizona, used approximately 2.6 million cubic meters of water in 2022.