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Modern "AI" DC's are not cheap and are (for the most part) closed-loop. They don't want to have to spend any more then they have to either and they don't want to pay for a shit load of water if they can avoid it.

Legacy and co-lo DC's are pretty bad about it though.

Source: https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/26/ai-water-use-distractions-and-lessons-for-california/

From the post:

>Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect many economic and natural resource sectors as these new technologies develop and mature. We are in the early years of this process. Like most new things, AI has become an object of small and great hopes and fears – from hopes for saving and helping humans to fears for destroying human minds and civilizations. A common concern in the media is AI’s water use and its larger implications. While most AI concerns are speculative in these early days, AI water use is an example of our fears and hopes, as well as how some advocates (and researchers) can seize on public attention as an opportunity for advocacy (and funding).

Modern "AI" DC's are not cheap and are (for the most part) closed-loop. They don't want to have to spend any more then they have to either and they don't want to pay for a shit load of water if they can avoid it. Legacy and co-lo DC's are pretty bad about it though. Source: https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/26/ai-water-use-distractions-and-lessons-for-california/ From the post: >>Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect many economic and natural resource sectors as these new technologies develop and mature. We are in the early years of this process. Like most new things, AI has become an object of small and great hopes and fears – from hopes for saving and helping humans to fears for destroying human minds and civilizations. A common concern in the media is AI’s water use and its larger implications. While most AI concerns are speculative in these early days, AI water use is an example of our fears and hopes, as well as how some advocates (and researchers) can seize on public attention as an opportunity for advocacy (and funding).
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[–] • 0 pt

Golf courses don't compete with consumers for resources other than the land itself. They don't demand utilities build out more infrastructure. Water usage is higher than a household, but not at data center levels. It's also put back into the ground, not evaporated. Also, golf courses must comply with watering bans. Data centers don't.

[–] • 1 pt

The golf courses in Colorado do not comply and use the same well water that others in the area do depleting the ground water.

Why is everyone always "but muh golf course"?

[–] • 1 pt

I don't care about golf courses. What I care about are taxpayers (me) subsidizing industry. The water and electricity usage directly competes with denizens. Our direct costs go up supporting dubious data centers. Not only don't i benefit proportionally, it has tangible costs that are passed down to me via regulated monopolies. That's my problem. If data centers used self generated power and closed loop cooling, I wouldn't care about them at all. But, they compete with shared infrastructure. They aren't being considerate with the population around them.