SpaceX amended its initial public offering on Monday to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development. The move reflects growing concerns among tech companies about how water scarcity might impact their operations. Water use has emerged as one of the most contentious data center issues, with a recent Gallup poll finding that seven out of 10 Americans oppose data center development in their area, ranking water scarcity as the top resource concern.
Public Opposition Reaches 70 Percent Over Water Concerns
The Gallup poll revealed significant public resistance to data center expansion, with water scarcity emerging as the primary resource concern among Americans. Facing increasingly fierce resistance, some tech companies are scrambling to assure the public that they're addressing the issue head-on.
Evaporative Cooling Consumes Fresh Water to Manage Server Heat
Data centers primarily use water to cool server racks, which generate massive amounts of heat. One popular technique, known as evaporative cooling, uses fresh water to absorb the heat, which is then pumped to cooling towers where it evaporates outside. Using more water can save money and reduce emissions for big tech companies by reducing the power needed for cooling that relies on energy-intensive pumps to recirculate water.
Google Facility Consumed Over 1 Billion Gallons in 2024
The water footprint of evaporative cooling can be substantial. Google's facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which uses evaporative cooling, consumed more than 1 billion gallons in 2024. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory predicted in a 2024 report that hyperscale data centers could consume up to 33 billion gallons of water by 2030 if they relied heavily on evaporative cooling. That consumption level is on par or even less than other water-intensive industries, like agriculture or oil and gas—a single fracked well can use 1.5 to 16 million gallons of water. However, the consumption poses a risk in regions where water is already scarce, particularly in summer when data center cooling needs tend to skyrocket at the same time as municipal water use.
Experts Warn Water Management Requires Regional Approach
"Water is a highly local, highly regional issue," says Shaolei Ren, a professor of engineering at UC Riverside. "It's a limited resource, and we have to manage it very carefully."
FAQ
What did SpaceX state about water conditions in its IPO filing?
SpaceX amended its initial public offering on Monday to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development.
How much water did Google's Iowa data center consume in 2024?
Google's facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which uses evaporative cooling, consumed more than 1 billion gallons in 2024.
What is the projected water consumption for hyperscale data centers by 2030?
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory predicted in a 2024 report that hyperscale data centers could consume up to 33 billion gallons of water by 2030 if they relied heavily on evaporative cooling.
