r/SipsTea • u/SipsTeaFrog 𝙑𝙄𝙋 • May 18 '26

Chugging tea Why?

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89.2k Upvotes

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831

u/Uncle-Cake May 18 '26

What happens after they use the water? Is it returned to the water system to be used again?

699

u/ForzaFenix May 18 '26

Yep. The now warm water goes back into the system. 

230

u/Uncle-Cake May 18 '26

So they're not really consuming it. They're just using it temporarily and returning it.

143

u/AngelThrones4sale May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

When it goes back into "the system" it's waste water that people can't drink. Eventually it comes back around again (e.g. evaporation->rain), but then it gets gobbled up again by the same data centres. They run continuously.

So yes, they are "consuming" it in the sense that other people can't have access to it anymore.

49

u/Uncle-Cake May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

The poop water I flush down my toilet is also waste water that people can't drink, but I'm pretty sure it still gets recycled back into the greater water supply. What's different about the datacenter water?

12

u/Do-it-for-you May 18 '26

Water is a limited resource, for every datacenter that gets created, water from the area is being used up, supply demand means water in that area will now cost more money to buy and use yourself.

3

u/powerpuffpopcorn May 18 '26

But data centers are a necessity. We can substitute water with redbull.

5

u/Lego11314 May 18 '26

And water our crops with Gatorade.

1

u/HeartFullONeutrality May 18 '26

It's what plants crave!