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Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

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Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#21

Post by mattcantstop »

chasebank wrote: post #14
rafram wrote: post #6

> 2.5 billion gallons of water worldwide last year, or about 5% of the amount metro Seattle consumes annually That doesn't seem like that much, really. The Seattle metro area isn't huge; that consumption is only 0.7% of New York's, and Amazon runs the largest network of data centers in the world.

Another data point. California pistachios consume about 500–600 billion gallons of water per year.

I've always found this a weird comparison. There is no more important use of water than providing food. I love tech and earn my living from it, but the importance of food cannot be overstated.

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#22

Post by bensyverson »

I spoke to someone who owns data centers recently. He said that in hot climates, they run closed-loop to preserve water, so the actual water use is virtually nothing. In Chicago (where we have no water shortage), they consume water—but it just evaporates and re-enters the water cycle.

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#24

Post by SoftTalker »

adjejmxbdjdn wrote: post #18

The entire environmental argument against data centers is largely bullshit. Sure, they shouldn’t be powered by gas or coal. And the local effects are significant. But the macro environmental effects are minor and the local effects can be resolved with the most trivial regulations.

> they shouldn’t be powered by gas or coal.

But they mostly are....

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#25

Post by Guthwine »

hyperhello wrote: post #8

What is it for data centers to use water, precisely? To take cool water in and run it through pipes to produce warm water, then send it to rivers?

According to this study[1] "With good water quality, roughly 80% of water withdrawal is evaporated and considered “consumption"" with the rest being discharged to wastewater facilities.

[1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.03271

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#26

Post by jawns »

I am curious about the energy/expense of getting water that has been "consumed" by data centers ready for other use (e.g. drinking water), versus the energy/expense of getting water that has been "consumed" by residential users ready for the same use.

To my understanding, the only thing that changes when water is used for data centers is its temperature.

That's a lot different than residential use, where it's used in toilets and needs to undergo significant wastewater treatment to be cleaned enough to be re-used.

So how do we compare apples to oranges for these very different use cases?

Update: It appears my assumption about the only thing changing in the data center case is temperature. For much of that water, a phase change occurs (evaporative cooling), so it is no longer accessible to be recycled.

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#27

Post by majorbugger »

whimsicalism wrote: post #12

i find the climate/environment concern around AI so clearly performative and poorly calibrated that it actively angers me. moral panics are weird

What angers me on the other hand is calling something "performative" while completely ignoring the facts. Have you checked the projected impact of new data centers on CO2 emmissions?

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#28

Post by lbriner »

mattcantstop wrote: post #21
chasebank wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another data point. California pistachios consume about 500–600 billion gallons of water per year.

I've always found this a weird comparison. There is no more important use of water than providing food. I love tech and earn my living from it, but the importance of food cannot be overstated.

pistachios is not the same thing as "food" it is just a small percentage of it. "Food" is important, pistachios not so much.

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#29

Post by scrumper »

This water usage argument against data centers is so specious I almost think it's spread as a deliberate talking point by DC proponents.

Power consumption and effect on electricity infrastructure is so, so, so much more consequential and dangerous. It alone is way more than enough on which to base a very solid anti-DC campaign. The water argument weakens the whole anti-DC position by being so refutable.

EDIT: with probable exceptions in specific local instances where water supply is already very constrained, like Utah.

Re: Amazon Says Its Data Centers Use 2.5B Gallons of Water

#30

Post by tomcam »

chasebank wrote: post #14
rafram wrote: post #6

> 2.5 billion gallons of water worldwide last year, or about 5% of the amount metro Seattle consumes annually That doesn't seem like that much, really. The Seattle metro area isn't huge; that consumption is only 0.7% of New York's, and Amazon runs the largest network of data centers in the world.

Another data point. California pistachios consume about 500–600 billion gallons of water per year.

Because of this I always fix a piercing gaze on any pistachio that crosses my path
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