"The primary use of water in semiconductor fabs is for cleaning and rinsing silicon wafers during production. This requires ultrapure water (UPW), which is thou

"The primary use of water in semiconductor fabs is for cleaning and rinsing silicon wafers during production. This requires ultrapure water (UPW), which is thousands of times purer than drinking water" So it's not water usage that evaporates and can cause droughts, it can be heavily recycled back into the system.