Tips for Researching Massive Water Consumption by Data Centers – Global Investigative Journalism Network

This article examines data centers' massive and growing water consumption, analyzing corporate sustainability reports from major tech companies including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. It finds significant variability in disclosure practices and highlights that in 2024, a single Google data center in Iowa consumed 1 billion gallons of water — enough to supply all of Iowa's residential water for five days. The authors, water policy researchers at UW-Milwaukee, argue that without consistent transparency requirements, communities and government officials lack the information needed to make informed decisions about data center siting and regulation.