How some data center operators are tackling their water use problems
Ars Technica AI · Molly Taft, wired.com · 2026-06-04
As SpaceX discloses water scarcity as a material risk in its IPO filing and a Gallup poll finds 70% of Americans oppose data center expansion, tech companies are under pressure to move beyond evaporative cooling toward less water-intensive alternatives.
Extraction
Topics: data-center-sustainabilitywater-useai-infrastructureenvironmental-impact
Claims
- SpaceX amended its IPO filing to formally identify water scarcity, drought, and water regulations as potential constraints on data center development.
- A Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans oppose data center development, with water scarcity ranked as the top resource concern.
- Evaporative cooling, the dominant data center cooling technique, consumes large volumes of fresh water by pumping heat to cooling towers where water evaporates.
- Tech companies are actively experimenting with alternative cooling approaches to reduce water consumption in response to public and regulatory pressure.
Key quotes
SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development.
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.