Bet this is happening at other similar sites.
Data centers use massive amounts of energy, and if fossil fuels are used to produce it, it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Methane, the pollutant of concern in the OP is considered a greenhouse gas.
Data Centers and Coldwater Fisheries Data centers have been in the news of late. While they are being framed as economic catalysts for communities, they have the potential to negatively impact coldwater fisheries. Minnesota Trout Unlimited (MNTU) has significant concern over the development of data…
mntu.org
Just found out that data centers use massive amounts of water and some chemicals data centers use cause the water to become unfit for human consumption
Data Centers - A Threat To Minnesota's Water
"Data centers are popping up across the country as the dependency on cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence increases. These centers require millions of gallons of water each year to cool the facility as well as to generate electricity to run them efficiently. This can cause stress in areas experiencing water scarcity and water quality concerns. Minnesota is currently home to 61 data centers."
"
Data Center Facts:
- Data centers rely on water-intensive cooling systems that consume millions of gallons of drinking water each year. A single data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day.
- Data centers are increasing their need for fresh water over time – Microsoft’s water consumption increased by 34% between 2021 and 2022. Google’s water consumption went up nearly 22% over the same period to 5.56 billion gallons per year.
- The water used in data centers is often treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion and bacterial growth, rendering it unsuitable for human consumption or agricultural use. This means that not only are data centers consuming large quantities of drinking water, but they are also effectively removing it from the water cycle.
More
Data centers are popping up across the country as the dependency on cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence increases. These centers require millions of gallons of water and huge amounts of electricity each year to cool the facility and run efficiently. Minnesotans shouldn’t be left on the...
cleanwater.org
Data centers face new regulations, some worry they fall short of protecting water, residents
Kirsti Marohn
June 18, 2025 4:00 AM
"State lawmakers extended a lucrative tax break that helps lure data centers to Minnesota in a compromise bill passed during a special session earlier this month.
But they also added new regulations on the booming data center industry aimed at protecting the environment, including the state’s water supply and climate goals, as well as electricity customers.
The explosion of artificial intelligence and cloud computing has spurred a building boom of massive facilities that store computer servers and equipment. The largest “hyperscale” data centers can consume
millions of gallons of water a year, and use as much electricity as the entire city of Minneapolis.
More
Data centers’ rising water use sparks growing concerns across Minnesota
EHN Curators
August 21, 2025
"As data centers multiply to meet surging digital demands, their heavy reliance on groundwater is drawing scrutiny from state officials and environmental groups worried about long-term water security.
In short:
- One data center can use as much water as 12,000 households, often through evaporative cooling systems, raising alarms about groundwater depletion near proposed and existing sites across Minnesota.
- A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources order halting irrigation along Little Rock Creek cited “substantial evidence” of groundwater overuse, signaling future conflicts among farms, tech facilities, and other users.
- Experts call for stronger laws allowing state agencies to act before water withdrawals cause harm, and for greater transparency from data centers, which often require nondisclosure agreements from local officials."
More
As data centers multiply to meet surging digital demands, their heavy reliance on groundwater is drawing scrutiny from state officials and environmental groups worried about long-term water security.Brian Martucci reports for Minnesota Reformer.In short:One data center can use as much water as...
www.ehn.org
Thinking ahead. Since Minnesota's cold climate reduces cooling costs, there's a lot of fresh water here, and the Great Lakes have such abundant freshwater, I'm concerned that large data centers could be located here and draw on both State water and the Great Lakes. If AI gets sufficient control, I wonder if it would demand that the Great Lakes be used for data centers, perhaps to the exclusion of human use. Or that ultimately, all the places that have already tried to make a case for diverting/piping water from Minnesota and/or the Great Lakes to places like California, Arizona, etc.
I think it's really evil to prioritize essential resources for AI and data centers over the needs of human beings, but I can see this happening, especially as more and more power is given to AI, BIGTech, etc..
If water is rationed, I wonder if a person's use of data center resources (financial transactions, AI queries, streaming, etc.) would count against his or her allotment.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, some have proposed that The Beast is actually a computer
Some people already equate the computer, internet, AI, etc. as having all the information/being all-knowing, like a god. Not unlike the German attitude toward German government (if the government decrees it, it must be right, and it must be obeyed) when I was stationed there. It was easy to see how the Holocaust happened there. Blind obedience to the state (and fear).
futurism.com
