Are Data Centers Draining America? Examining Physical and Social Constraints on Water Withdrawal

Abstract

Data centers consume enormous amounts of water each day. Water withdrawal in data centers has been largely understudied compared to energy and is largely unregulated. Using Meta and Google data centers as my case studies, my thesis is an empirical study of how physical conditions, measured through drought levels, and social pressures, measured through public pressure, can constrain water withdrawal in data centers. To examine the impact of drought, I conduct a county-level typology and novel Water Withdrawal Stress Index (WWSI) comparing withdrawal against DSCI drought data; Part 2 utilizes a content analysis of 1,266 newspaper articles (2014-2026) measuring sentiment and framing as proxies for public pressure. I found that data centers increase water withdrawal alongside increasing drought severity, reflecting that data centers operate as a “drought-blind” industry. Additionally, WWSI across both Meta and Google counties rose significantly, with the highest levels of stress concentrated in the Southern and Western regions of the United States. Lastly, public sentiment scores shifted negatively in 80% of observed counties; however, no statistically significant relationship was found between sentiment and water withdrawal. Overall, neither physical nor social constraints have meaningfully limited water withdrawal in data centers. Policies, such as mandatory facility-level water withdrawal reporting and drought-dependent withdrawal policies implemented at the state level, can be a feasible first intervention towards creating more sustainable water management in a rapidly expanding industry.