US data centers tripled annual water consumption to 17B gallons
US data centers consumed 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, a threefold increase since 2014 driven largely by electricity generation for AI infrastructure. The report highlights that indirect water use for power production accounts for over 80% of the industry's total water footprint.
Why it matters
The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is creating significant, often overlooked environmental pressures on water resources through energy demand.
US data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, with electricity generation accounting for more than 80% of the total.
US data centers used an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023 , roughly three times their consumption in 2014, according to a Congressional Research Service report published by the Library of Congress . The estimate covers a data-center buildout that was accelerating as demand for generative AI took off.
The number is not a complete national measurement. The federal government does not systematically track water consumption across the data-center industry, and much of the available information is collected by state and local agencies. Some municipal agreements also restrict disclosure of the rates and volumes charged to individual operators.
That makes the 17-billion-gallon figure an estimate rather than a facility-by-facility accounting. It also covers more than the water piped directly into server campuses.
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