I'm looking for U.S. industry professionals working with AI data centers and/or living in water-stressed locations that are witnessing an increase in data center construction to comment on an article examining the potential long-range impacts of AI on freshwater resources in the United States. My main questions are: 1.) Recent reports indicate that nearly 2/3 of U.S. cities experiencing a growth in data center construction are in water-stressed regions. **For those working in AI data centers: Are there protocols to help mitigate the effects of excess water consumption on nearby communities in regions experiencing drought or general water scarcity? **For residents in these areas: Are you concerned about how the continued expansion of these data centers to support AI could affect your quality of life in the future? 2.) In 2022, Google, Microsoft, and Meta alone used an estimated 580 billion gallons of fresh water to cool and power existing data centers and AI servers. For perspective, that's the annual water needs of 15 million households. As someone working with data centers, can this water be purified and reused? Moreover, are there other water-intensive needs related to AI other than cooling? 3.) Is there a sustainable solution for the critical intersection of more data centers in areas where the existing population is struggling with water scarcity? If so, please explain. 4.) Are there any secondary impacts on a region's freshwater that aren't so obvious to those outside the growing AI-support industry? If so, please elaborate. I'm grateful for your time and consideration of this vital topic.

posted6/30/2025

deadline7/7/2025

processing

published9/23/2025