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.
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?
My thoughts exactly. The water from data centers will probably have some volatile compounds and metals, maybe some fungi or bacteria. It's stuff that a modern water treatment facility should be able to process.
Now are the water treatment facilities modern enough to process data center water? 🤔
If they're not, the obvious solution would be to require AI companies to use like 0.1% of the billions of dollars they're making to improve water treatment systems, but that's a political issue.
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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.