ThirstyFLOPS: Water Footprint Modeling and Analysis Toward Sustainable HPC Systems

High-performance computing (HPC) systems are becoming increasingly water-intensive due to their reliance on water-based cooling and the energy used in power generation. However, the water footprint of HPC remains relatively underexplored—especially in contrast to the growing focus on carbon emissions. In this paper, we present ThirstyFLOPS - a comprehensive water footprint analysis framework for HPC systems. Our approach incorporates region-specific metrics, including Water Usage Effectiveness, Power Usage Effectiveness, and Energy Water Factor, to quantify water consumption using real-world data. Using four representative HPC systems – Marconi, Fugaku, Polaris, and Frontier – as examples, we provide implications for HPC system planning and management. We explore the impact of regional water scarcity and nuclear-based energy strategies on HPC sustainability. Our findings aim to advance the development of water-aware, environmentally responsible computing infrastructures.