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I'm not sure if/how much of these (water) issues are the data centers themselves vs poor water management or other issues. Most water use in data centers shoul

I'm not sure if/how much of these (water) issues are the data centers themselves vs poor water management or other issues. Most water use in data centers should be able to be self-sufficient, mostly closed, and filtered/reusable locally... It's not like manufacturing. Now, power usage is another story entirely and is outright concerning and should probably require a nuclear plant near some of these data centers as new construction.

mmh0000 5mo ago
> Most water use in data centers should be able to be self-sufficient, mostly closed [Citation Needed] My understanding is that data centers CAN use closed-loop systems. But, most don't if they're not forced to, because it costs more than evaporating towers. According to this[1], 88% of water-cooled data-centers use open-loop evaporation towers. "up to 85% of the water data centers use evaporates and does not return to the water supply" [2] [1] https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/sites/default/files/2025-07/UI%20Field%20181_Data%20center%20cooling.pdf https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/sites/default/files... [2] https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/data-center-water-use/#:~:text=Data%20centers%20use,and%20aquatic%20life.&text=Up%20to%2085%25,concentrations%20of%20dissolved&text=Data%20centers%20directly,%28Hershberg%20et%20al. https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/data-center-wa...
- Ferret7446 5mo ago
  > up to 85% of the water data centers use evaporates and does not return to the water supply Because the water vapor undergoes antimatter annihilation in the atmosphere so the molecules disappear I suppose?
  - tzs 5mo ago
    It ends up in someone's water supply, evntually, but not necessarily the water supply they got it from.
  - muwtyhg 5mo ago
    No one is saying the water is destroyed, but it is removed from the local community that depends on it at a significantly faster rate when used this way.
- apple4ever 4mo ago
  Which seems incredibly inefficient and expensive. I find it hard to believe.

mmh0000 5mo ago

> Most water use in data centers should be able to be self-sufficient, mostly closed [Citation Needed] My understanding is that data centers CAN use closed-loop systems. But, most don't if they're not forced to, because it costs more than evaporating towers. According to this[1], 88% of water-cooled data-centers use open-loop evaporation towers. "up to 85% of the water data centers use evaporates and does not return to the water supply" [2] [1] https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/sites/default/files/2025-07/UI%20Field%20181_Data%20center%20cooling.pdf https://intelligence.uptimeinstitute.com/sites/default/files... [2] https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/data-center-water-use/#:~:text=Data%20centers%20use,and%20aquatic%20life.&text=Up%20to%2085%25,concentrations%20of%20dissolved&text=Data%20centers%20directly,%28Hershberg%20et%20al. https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/data-center-wa...

Ferret7446 5mo ago
> up to 85% of the water data centers use evaporates and does not return to the water supply Because the water vapor undergoes antimatter annihilation in the atmosphere so the molecules disappear I suppose?
- tzs 5mo ago
  It ends up in someone's water supply, evntually, but not necessarily the water supply they got it from.
- muwtyhg 5mo ago
  No one is saying the water is destroyed, but it is removed from the local community that depends on it at a significantly faster rate when used this way.
apple4ever 4mo ago
Which seems incredibly inefficient and expensive. I find it hard to believe.