In the face of growing water scarcity, major tech companies are expanding their datacentre operations in regions already facing significant drought challenges. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have been at the forefront of investments in these facilities. This has led to a serious discussion about their negative environmental impact and water use. As these companies aim to meet increasing data demands, their reliance on water for cooling has prompted debate over sustainability and resource management.
Yet at the same time, Amazon has a datacentre footprint in seven US states where water scarcity is an emerging concern. The company is in the process of constructing six additional facilities. This expansion will continue to solidify its position as the world’s largest data center owner thanks to its Amazon Web Services (AWS) subsidiary. Google currently has 38 active datacenters globally. They’re working to produce 24 additional prototypes, specifically focusing on dry, desert climates that exist across the United States.
The Water Footprint of Datacentres
While datacentres are vital for our connected society, they use enormous quantities of water to cool their operations, leading to an ever-growing demand. In arid states, this demand quickly becomes an alarming issue of sustainability. “Neither people nor data can live without water,” said Aurora Gómez from the campaign group Tu Nube Seca Mi Río, highlighting the delicate balance between technological advancement and environmental preservation.
A spokesperson for Amazon, Harry Staight, agreed that conservation of water is hugely important in fulfillment operations. He urged committee members to recognize that water is a finite resource. We were gratified to hear of their strong commitment to working in earnest to help address this great challenge. He stated that most of Amazon’s facilities do not rely on continuous water use for cooling. This further illustrates a shift to more efficient technologies.
Google has taken a slightly different approach. The company made the surprising announcement earlier this summer that it plans to forgo exercising its full entitlement to water under its Mesa project. In its place, they’ll introduce an air-cooled process to dramatically cut water use. Chris Mussett, a Google spokesperson, explained that their cooling strategies are informed by data-driven policies aimed at balancing carbon-free energy availability with responsibly sourced water.
“Cooling systems are a hyperlocal decision – informed by our data-driven strategy called ‘climate-conscious cooling’ that balances the availability of carbon-free energy and responsibly sourced water to minimize climate impact both today and in the future,” – Chris Mussett.
Even with such assurances, fundamental questions remain about the long-term sustainability of such practices as we enter a new era marked by climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has determined that the Maricopa County — home to two of Microsoft’s datacentres — is in “extreme drought.” This group classification brings additional urgency to the already serious discussions on how to best manage limited resources.
Regional Impacts and Local Concerns
In many places like Frankfurt this rapid expansion of datacentres has created a backlash from the local community. In the Aragon region of Spain, Amazon’s new datacentres are on track to more than quadruple electricity use. They are supposed to eventually consume more energy than the entire state does today. Local government leaders have warned that datacentres pose a risk to valuable regional water assets. The Aragonese government, for its part, considers that the effect on water availability is “imperceptible” at present. Environmental advocates have slammed this view. They complain that any use of water in a drought-stricken region is an emergency that should immediately set off alarm bells.
As Council member Jenn Duff of Mesa, Arizona put it — in reference to mega water users such as technology companies. “We’ve got to be extremely, extremely careful about the development of new, large water users,” she added. This sentiment captures the increasing anger from farmers and community members who depend on local streams and rivers to support their way of life.
Farmer Chechu Sánchez explained how datacentres encroach upon his access to community water resources. They don’t give you money. “They take it from you, of course,” he said pointedly. This underscores the real, negative impact of technology operations on agricultural communities.
Industry Responses and Future Goals
Both Microsoft and Google have pledged to go “water positive” by 2030. To meet this ambitious goal, they aim to do so through water offsetting programs and other efficiency improvements. In 2023, Microsoft announced that 42% of its water originated in regions experiencing water stress. This statistic is a troubling marker for the company’s overall sustainability practices.
Microsoft declined to share information on what it’s doing around water usage today. What they didn’t announce was how they are going to achieve their lofty targets. This lack of transparency has resulted in a distrust among impacted community members about the company’s claim that it seeks to develop the resource responsibly.
Jaume-Palasí, an expert in sustainable technology practices, noted that many datacentres are transitioning from air cooling to more water-intensive cooling systems. “Most datacentres right now are going from air cooling to water cooling because liquid is more efficient when you try to cool down high-density racks,” he explained. This change makes it hard to believe all the tech giants’ promises that they’re leading industry transitions to greener paths.
“It’s no coincidence they are building in dry areas,” – Jaume-Palasí.
Environmental advocates are still calling for stricter regulations concerning datacentres’ use of water. Further, they point out that human life should always come before the needs of data. Gómez emphasized this point: “But human life is essential and data isn’t.”