The amount of water data centers use to cool their servers depends on the size of the center, the climate of the region it's located in and what cooling system it utilizes.
Data servers are constantly running software tasks, responding to requests and processing and storing data. This causes them to put off large amounts of heat — similar to how a computer can feel hot to the touch when it runs multiple platforms at the same time. But an overheated server can cause sudden system crashes, corrupted data, permanent hardware damage and major web service outages for everyday users.
Data centers use water to cool the servers and prevent overheating. Their water use has made them a major part of the conversation about America’s water resources, but it is best understood in the context of how water is used across the country. Compared to many familiar uses of water in the U.S., including residential landscaping and golf course irrigation, data centers represent a small share of total water use.
Some data centers, particularly older ones, use evaporative cooling, which removes heat from the servers through evaporation. As hot, dry air is pulled through water-moistened pads, the water evaporates, pulling heat out of the air and lowering its temperature before a fan blows it into the building.
But newer data centers use what’s called a closed-loop system. These cool down the servers in data centers using significantly less water. The system is filled with water just once during setup, and works by constantly recirculating the water through pipes to absorb and remove heat from servers.
Most modern data centers in construction use closed-loop systems because they are more efficient and eliminate heavy daily water consumption tied to traditional evaporative cooling systems. Improving water efficiency can also provide financial benefits for data center operators, lowering operating expenses while helping limit demand on local water supplies. Many companies are therefore pursuing strategies to improve water conservation and offset their water use.
