A medium-sized data center consumes approximately 110 million gallons of water per year — equivalent to the annual usage of 1,000 households. As AI infrastructure scales, water is emerging as the second binding constraint after electricity, generating community opposition that developers can no longer ignore.

Key topics covered:

• U.S. data center water consumption projected to surge to 68 billion gallons annually by 2028
• Evaporative cooling mechanics and why water doesn't recirculate
• Site selection tension: energy availability vs. water availability
• Community pushback and state-level regulatory responses
• Closed-loop cooling, liquid cooling, and water restoration programs
• Microsoft, Google, and Meta water-positive commitments

Related keywords: data center water usage, AI water consumption, evaporative cooling, water-stressed regions, closed-loop cooling, immersion cooling, water positive data centers, sustainability

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