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Despite accounting for less than 1% of the country's water consumption in 2023, US data centers' water use for cooling and electricity generation can increase water stress in drought-affected areas.

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Additional insights we found via Knowable Magazine
According to Google, "the median Gemini Apps text prompt uses 0.24 watt-hours (Wh) of energy, emits 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (gCO₂e), and consumes 0.26 milliliters (or about five drops) of water."
Across billions of yearly prompts, research suggests US data centers may use as much water as New York City's drinking supply by 2030, though Amazon Web Services has set a goal of being water positive—returning more water than it uses in its data center operations—by that point.
Data center water consumption can be made more sustainable by employing more efficient cooling technologies and strategically siting facilities in water-abundant areas.
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