Freshwater Use and AI Data Centers: Why Freshwater?

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In an age of already dwindling resources, why do AI data centers reach for freshwater to cool their systems?


AI data centers and their servers generate tons of data, and along with it heat. To cool down their systems, most companies use freshwater cooling towers to lower temperatures. But this single-use practice with freshwater poses a problem to communities that need drinking water. Once the water cools the servers, it evaporates. And with each individual use of AI, a little bit more water is used. Nearly “25.5 million liters of water” evaporates from “a single 1-megawatt data center” (Phillips, 2026). 


So why don’t these companies switch to wastewater or salt water? Wouldn’t that solve this issue? It’s not as easy as you’d hope. 


There are a few main issues with other forms of water compared to freshwater. One of the biggest issues is the minerals and impurities in wastewater or saltwater. These are prone to clog cooling system pipes, cause corrosion, and create long-term damage. Another point of interest is the money. It’s cheaper to use freshwater that needs no treatment than to use other types of water that require on-site water treatment plants (Phillips, 2026). 


Despite these obstacles, it’s still not sustainable to use freshwater long term to run these data centers. It’s a valuable, limited resource that humans need in order to survive. So what are some alternatives if not the type of water used? While a lot of them are still being developed and put into practice, some options utilize entirely different methods to cool down water. One stand-out alternative is closed loop cooling systems, which recycles a mix of both wastewater and freshwater, limiting the amount of impurities in the system. It also uses external air to cool the heated water, so the servers don’t entirely rely on cool water. Other alternatives include air cooling, free cooling, liquid cooling and immersion cooling. To find out more about how these alternatives can work to prevent AI data center water consumption, click here!



Source:

Phillips, S. (2026, February 11). Silicon Thirst: Why AI’s Data Centers Drain Fresh Water in a Parched World. Joburgetc. https://www.joburgetc.com/news/ai-data-centers-fresh-water-usage-cooling-recycled/


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