I see frequent mentions of AI wasting water. Is this one such setup, perhaps with the CDU using the facility's water supply for evaporative cooling?
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The implication is clear that it is a waste, but I feel like if they had the data so support that, it wouldn't be left for the reader to infer.
I can see two models where you could say water is consumed. Either talking about drinkable water rendered undrinkable, or turning water into something else where it is not practically recaptured. Tuning it into steam, sequestering it in some sludge etc.
Are these things happening? If it is happening, is it bad? Why?
I'd love to see answers on this, because I have seen the figures used like a kudgel without specifying what the numbers actually refer to. It's frustrating as hell.
> ...actual water consumed by data centers is around 66 million gallons per day. By 2028, that’s estimated to rise by two to four times. This is a large amount of water when compared to the amount of water homes use, but it's not particularly large when compared to other large-scale industrial uses. 66 million gallons per day is about 6% of the water used by US golf courses, and it's about 3% of the water used to grow cotton in 2023.