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> In 2023, according to the Financial Times, data centers in Northern Virginia alone used nearly 2 billion gallons of water. University of California at Riversi

> In 2023, according to the Financial Times, data centers in Northern Virginia alone used nearly 2 billion gallons of water. University of California at Riverside researchers estimate that, in 2027, thirsty AI will slurp up between 1.1 trillion and 1.7 trillion gallons of water globally. What does "used" mean in this case? Aren't these closed systems?

gpm 2y ago
They aren't closed systems, they ultimately cool by evaporating water to reject heat.
- stevarino 2y ago
  Yeah this. Cooling towers work by maximizing evaporation rare, transferring energy into the atmosphere via water molecules. Other heat sink strategies could involve refrigeration systems, but those are significantly more energy intensive and a lot more complex.
Rotundo 2y ago
Data centers often use drinking water for cooling and let the heated water flow into the local rivers and streams. At least in my locale.
- bee_rider 2y ago
  That seems quite different; the water isn’t used up at all. Of course there could be some consequence of dumping heat into the water (my gut says—usually it turns out we don’t have enough power to appreciably change the temperature of a river, but I guess it depends on the rate of flow of the river and the amount of heat).
  - wlesieutre 2y ago
    We’re sucking water out of aquifers and dumping it in the ocean, the aquifers are not replenishing. The water still exists yes, but ground water is essentially “used up.”
    - devilbunny 2y ago
      Maybe your municipality does. My city water is from a river. It is withdrawn, treated, used, treated as sewage, and then dumped back in the river. Even water used for irrigation eventually ends up there.
  - steanne 2y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pollution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pollution "When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the sudden change in temperature decreases oxygen supply and affects ecosystem composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by an abrupt change in water temperature (either a rapid increase or decrease) known as "thermal shock". Warm coolant water can also have long term effects on water temperature, increasing the overall temperature of water bodies, including deep water. Seasonality effects how these temperature increases are distributed throughout the water column. Elevated water temperatures decrease oxygen levels, which can kill fish and alter food chain composition, reduce species biodiversity, and foster invasion by new thermophilic species."

gpm 2y ago

They aren't closed systems, they ultimately cool by evaporating water to reject heat.

stevarino 2y ago
Yeah this. Cooling towers work by maximizing evaporation rare, transferring energy into the atmosphere via water molecules. Other heat sink strategies could involve refrigeration systems, but those are significantly more energy intensive and a lot more complex.

Rotundo 2y ago

Data centers often use drinking water for cooling and let the heated water flow into the local rivers and streams. At least in my locale.

bee_rider 2y ago
That seems quite different; the water isn’t used up at all. Of course there could be some consequence of dumping heat into the water (my gut says—usually it turns out we don’t have enough power to appreciably change the temperature of a river, but I guess it depends on the rate of flow of the river and the amount of heat).
- wlesieutre 2y ago
  We’re sucking water out of aquifers and dumping it in the ocean, the aquifers are not replenishing. The water still exists yes, but ground water is essentially “used up.”
  - devilbunny 2y ago
    Maybe your municipality does. My city water is from a river. It is withdrawn, treated, used, treated as sewage, and then dumped back in the river. Even water used for irrigation eventually ends up there.
- steanne 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pollution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pollution "When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the sudden change in temperature decreases oxygen supply and affects ecosystem composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by an abrupt change in water temperature (either a rapid increase or decrease) known as "thermal shock". Warm coolant water can also have long term effects on water temperature, increasing the overall temperature of water bodies, including deep water. Seasonality effects how these temperature increases are distributed throughout the water column. Elevated water temperatures decrease oxygen levels, which can kill fish and alter food chain composition, reduce species biodiversity, and foster invasion by new thermophilic species."