Scare Gallons vs Real Gallons
AI data center are being blocked coast to coast based on claims they’ll drink towns dry. But when you look at the actual data in context you’ll find a much different story. Using numbers from the US Geological Service and a recent study from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab gives a much clearer picture of real water consumption in the US.
Data center direct water use is a tiny rounding error when compared to other usage categories (like power generation, irrigation, public use, etc.)