Concerns about the environmental impact of data centers in the US state of Virginia are being raised again with claims that their water consumption has increased by almost two-thirds since 2019, and AI could make it worse.
Data centers seek sustainable solutions to rising water consumption
Virginia is described as the data center capital of the world, particularly Northern Virginia – as reported by The Register recently – where it is understood there are around 300 facilities.
According to the Financial Times, water consumption for biting barns in some areas has increased significantly over the past five years by almost two-thirds. It cites data collected through freedom of information requests to claim more than 1.85 billion gallons were used in 2023, up from 1.13 billion gallons in 2019.
Those numbers came from northern Virginia water authorities in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties.
