One Quarter of Global Data Centers are Located in Water-Stressed Areas

Abstract The rapid growth of digital services is increasing the demand for high-performance computing within data centers, intensifying the demand for local natural resources, particularly energy and water. This study assesses the current and future exposure of all 9347 currently identified data centers worldwide to water gap conditions, areas where water demand exceeds available supply, resulting in unsustainable water consumption and an increase in water stress. We find that 25% of data centers would already have experienced at least 1 month of water gap annually under 2001–2010 hydrologic conditions. While such conditions rarely prevent continued operation, they intensify stress with other water-dependent sectors. 33% of currently identified data centers would be in regions experiencing water gaps under future hydrological conditions. Data centers overlap with water demands from municipal (41%), irrigation (28%), manufacturing (18%), and power generation (8%) sectors. The United States hosts 39% of data centers, with 21% located in water-scarce regions, where overlap with municipal and agricultural demands is pronounced. The extent to which water-stress exposure translates into operational impacts for data centers themselves or into measurable consequences for other water users remains an open question to address. Ensuring data center long-term viability will require siting and governance choices that account for local hydrological limits.