liquid cooling How some data center operators are tackling their water use problems Hyperscalers have come under scrutiny for their impact on water quality and availability. Molly Taft, wired.com – Jun 4, 2026 10:11 am | 77 A data center in Ashburn, Virginia. Credit: Bloomberg A data center in Ashburn, Virginia. Credit: Bloomberg Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav On Monday, SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development. It isn’t the only tech company trying to assess how water scarcity might impact its business. Water use is emerging as one of the most contentious data center issues .
A recent Gallup poll found that seven out of 10 Americans are opposed to data center development, with water scarcity ranking as the top resource concern. Facing increasingly fierce resistance, some tech companies are scrambling to assure the public that they’re facing the issue head-on. Data centers primarily use water to cool server racks, which throw off 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.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/06/how-data-center-operators-are-tackling-their-water-use-problems/
A recent Gallup poll found that seven out of 10 Americans are opposed to data center development, with water scarcity ranking as the top resource concern. Facing increasingly fierce resistance, some tech companies are scrambling to assure the public that they’re facing the issue head-on. Data centers primarily use water to cool server racks, which throw off 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.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/06/how-data-center-operators-are-tackling-their-water-use-problems/