How much water do data centres use? Most tech companies won’t say

As more data centres are being built to meet growing demand, their water use is coming under scrutiny – particularly in regions of the US affected by the ongoing megadrought

By Jeremy Hsu

Most tech companies have water management programs that are rated as weak, and many won’t even disclose how much water they use, according to a new analysis. This comes as much of the world has experienced sweltering heat waves and dried-up rivers amidst the growing impacts of climate change – and the western US is in the 22nd year of its worst drought in more than a millennium.