Data center operators and many of the world’s largest tech companies are taking steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of water supplies by quantifying water usage, understanding how to assess associated service risks, and developing mitigation plans that will allow them to maintain the reliability of their operations – all while reducing overall water usage.
Data centers, in particular, rely on local utilities to provide the continuous water supplies needed to keep servers cool. However, water providers aren’t obligated to the reliability commitments that data centers require to ensure uninterrupted operations. Water, especially in certain western states, is dwindling in supply and could disrupt continuous access to data as the situation worsens in the coming years. With this in mind, tech companies, in particular, are looking for ways to be less dependent on utilities and to put less pressure on municipal water supplies.
...