Data Center Myths the Developers Push #1
Myth #1: Data Centers Won’t Strain a Community’s Water Supply
Even ‘self-supplied’ data centers still pull from the same regional aquifer system we depend on. Using millions of gallons a day for evaporative cooling, data centers lower water tables, impact wells, and reduce long-term water availability for residents and farmers.
The claim that a data center won’t drain community water is misleading. Whether water is pulled from municipal systems or private wells, it still comes from the same underlying aquifers that supply our homes, farms, and schools. The level of water extraction required to sustain the data center’s evaporative cooling system can lower groundwater levels, especially in recharge-sensitive areas like ours.
Data center developers say that systems will “ramp up” to meet the demand of their cooling systems and everyone might benefit. However, there is only one supply of water and once water tables drop, private wells are the first to be impacted. Recovery can take years or decades.
We all depend on one supply of water. There is no separate supply for data centers.
Data Center Water Consumption FAQ:
Question: Does “self supplied” mean a data center won’t impact a community’s water?
Answer: There is no separate system just for data centers. We all share the same water and constantly removing the volume required for data center evaporative cooling depletes water supplies over time. When the water runs out, the data center will move to a new area. Residents can’t and will be impacted for decades.
Question: Aren’t evaporative cooling systems “sealed” systems?
Answer: They are somewhat sealed as far as internal water circulation goes, but water is still run through evaporative chillers which exchange the heat from hot water with cooler water which evaporates. Look around on a winter day and you’ll see steam from commercial buildings – those are evaporative cooling systems. Water doesn’t magically appear to be used for evaporative cooling – it has to come from somewhere.
Question: How much water does a datacenter’s evaporative cooling system actually consume each day?
Answer: Large campuses can use one to five million gallons per day which is comparable to the entire usage of a small town.
Question: What are the impacts of data center water consumption on a community?
Answer: The first things impacted will be private wells. As the water table drops from data center usage, water levels in wells will fall. Many in our community rely on their wells for drinking water and to water their livestock because city water isn’t available. It can take decades for levels to rise again.
Question: Will a data center cause an increase in water bills?
Answer: For those on city water, the answer is probably yes. More demand means more water treatment, more equipment and more energy consumption to treat water. That cost is passed down to all customers, not just the data center.
There's Enough Water to go Around, Right?
The Spring Hill area sits right between major aquafers. We rely on regional replenishment of our aquafer from local rain. Unlike neighboring parts of Kansas and Missouri, we do not have access to a large aquafer that can be replenished across a wide region. The image shows where Spring Hill is located compared to major aquafers.
