Data centers are consuming freshwater at an unprecedented scale, with a single facility in Virginia using approximately one billion gallons in 2023 alone. According to a Georgia University study, between 80 and 90 percent of water consumed by data centers is drawn from lakes, rivers, and aquifers, often the same sources that supply public water systems. This massive consumption is happening largely out of public view, driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure and the cooling systems required to keep servers running 24/7.

How Much Water Are Data Centers Actually Using?

The numbers are staggering. The world's largest data hub, located in Loudon County, Virginia, used approximately one billion gallons of water in 2023. That equates to 2.75 million gallons per day, 365 days a year, according to the Georgia University research. To put this in perspective, that single facility consumes as much water in one day as thousands of American households use in a month. And this is just one data center among hundreds of facilities either operating or planned across the United States.

The water crisis extends beyond Virginia. In Ohio, where Amazon, Meta, and Google have all received tax exemptions for data center operations, the state has begun to grapple with the environmental costs. Governor Mike DeWine ordered a pause on new tax exemptions in May 2026 while a newly formed Joint Data Center Select Committee studies their expansion. The pause came after years of unchecked growth, during which these facilities received tax breaks that could extend all the way to 2055 with 100 percent exemptions for qualifying facilities.

Why Is Water Depletion Such a Critical Issue for Communities?

Water is fundamentally different from other resources that data centers consume. Unlike electricity, which can theoretically be generated from renewable sources, water is finite and essential for human survival. When data centers draw from the same aquifers and rivers that supply drinking water to nearby communities, they create direct competition for a limited resource. This is particularly concerning in regions already facing water stress, where agricultural operations and residential users depend on the same sources.

The problem is compounded by the fact that data centers are often built in rural or low-income areas where residents have less political influence to oppose their construction. These communities bear the environmental burden while tech companies and their shareholders capture the economic benefits. Environmental organizations including the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Earth Justice have begun taking legal action against some facilities, such as Elon Musk's xAI installation near Memphis, Tennessee, which was built with unpermitted natural gas-burning turbines.

Steps Communities Can Take to Address Data Center Water Consumption

• Legislative Action: Support bills that regulate data center water usage and require environmental impact assessments before construction approval, similar to House Bill 646 in Ohio, which was designed to regulate the industry.
• Transparency Requirements: Advocate for laws mandating public disclosure of water consumption data and environmental impact reports, preventing the use of shell companies and non-disclosure agreements that currently shield development details from local residents.
• Renewable Energy Mandates: Push for regulations requiring data centers to source power from wind and solar rather than natural gas or diesel, which would reduce both water consumption for cooling and air pollution in affected areas.
• Community Notification: Demand repeal of laws like Ohio's House Bill 15, which allows data centers to get quick approval for their own gas plants with no community notification and no public hearings.

The environmental stakes are enormous. In addition to water depletion, data centers are driving increased fracking operations to supply natural gas for power generation, contributing to air pollution through diesel engine emissions, and threatening agricultural land that has been in families for generations. Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation lobbyist Evan Callicoat emphasized the broader implications, stating that "we must recognize that farmland is a strategic resource and a vital part of our nation's security".

The frustration is widespread and bipartisan. Jack Irwin, vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau, told Cleveland.com that "I cannot stress how frustrated people are with this topic," noting that data centers have become a rare issue uniting both the left and the right in opposition. Yet legislative action has stalled. In Ohio, House Bill 646, designed to regulate the industry, died when the caucus broke for summer, meaning new legislation will likely have to wait until after the November election.

The broader challenge is that data centers are not slowing down. U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 176 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023 alone, a number that continues to grow as artificial intelligence adoption accelerates. Much of that power is used just to cool the operations, making water consumption an inextricable part of the AI infrastructure boom. Without significant regulatory intervention, communities across America will continue to see their freshwater resources diverted to power the technology that drives modern AI systems.