Data Centers' Indirect Water Use Raises Environmental Concerns

• •Data centers' indirect water use is largely linked to electricity generation.
• •Ceres estimates 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater used for electricity by data centers in 2024.
• •Meta is the only major operator disclosing its indirect water consumption figures.

Recent analyses reveal that data centers significantly contribute to water consumption indirectly through electricity generation. A report by Ceres indicates that data centers in seven U.S. states used 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater in 2024 for electricity, which is twelve times the combined total used by major cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Meta is the only major operator to disclose its indirect water consumption, reporting it was over 20 times higher than direct usage in 2024. Amazon tracks this data but has not publicly disclosed figures due to a lack of industry standards. The financial implications of this water consumption are often overlooked by lenders, who focus primarily on cost and reliability of power. As climate conditions change, the long-term sustainability of data centers is increasingly questioned, especially in drought-prone areas like Texas.