Can tech giants curb AI data centres’ growing thirst for water?

AI’s boom has a water problem.

Data centres are facing growing public anger in the United States over the amount of water and electricity they use. The technology giants spending billions of dollars on them say the water problem, at least, can be addressed.

Data centres are warehouses filled with computer servers that power the internet and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

Those computers generate heat, and keeping them cool can require large amounts of water.

Data centres worldwide consumed 222 billion litres (59 billion gallons) of water for cooling in 2025, according to consultancy Rystad Energy.