New data from Global Water Intelligence reveals impact of hyperscale data center boom on onsite water consumption and unprecedented growth in water technology and infrastructure spending

Group 1 - The onsite water consumption for data center cooling is expected to increase by over 50% by 2030, despite a doubling of data center capacity during the same period [1] - Significant efficiency gains in water use are anticipated due to a shift towards water-efficient cooling technologies, which will require higher quality water [4] - There will be unprecedented double-digit annual growth in water-related technology and infrastructure spending for data centers [4] Group 2 - Hybrid air-water cooling systems and those designed for AI workloads are becoming standard in data centers, with a trend towards using lower-quality recycled water to reduce freshwater consumption [5] - In India, data center water use is projected to more than double by 2030, highlighting major risks in a country already experiencing extreme water stress [6] - Data centers can lower their onsite water footprint by adopting dry cooling methods, but this increases energy use and leads to greater indirect water consumption from power generation [7] Group 3 - Water-efficient cooling will be essential for the sustainable growth of data centers as power demand continues to rise through 2030 and beyond [7]