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Tech Thirst: Data center water consumption could triple by 2030 without efficiency gains
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Fusion42 · 27 August 2026 · Fusion42 review
Global water consumption by data centers could nearly triple by 2030 without efficiency improvements, from 222 billion liters in 2025 to as much as 644 billion liters, driven largely by AI adoption increasing cooling demands. Advanced cooling technologies and stronger water-use effectiveness (WUE) standards could significantly reduce this demand, but regulation is still emerging and enforcement is limited.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Cloud Infrastructure.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
You need to treat data centre water use as a rising operational risk requiring immediate upgrades in cooling technology and efficiency. Infrastructure operators who act fast to adopt advanced cooling will secure better access to locations and reduce future regulatory risks.
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1 source · 27 Aug 2026
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