The increasing regulation of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is becoming a pivotal issue for industries worldwide. For semiconductor manufacturers, a sector.
Ensuring Water Sustainability in the AI Era
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping our world, enhancing everything from healthcare to finance with its advanced algorithms and virtual assistants. Yet, this rapid growth has a hidden cost: significant generative AI water use. AI-driven data centers require vast amounts of water to cool their servers, each AI operation subtly yet significantly drawing on our water reserves.
Consider this: engaging with AI systems like ChatGPT about 20 to 50 times can consume as much as half a liter of water. Research from the University of California Riverside, featured in Nature, suggests that the water footprint of virtual assistants is not trivial. If each of the 100 million weekly users issued just one command, it could lead to a daily data centers water usage of about 0.189 million gallons.
In 2022, major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta used over 2 billion cubic meters of water—more than double the annual water consumption of Denmark. In Virginia, a key hub for data centers, consumption soared by nearly two-thirds from 2019 to 2023, reflecting the escalating demand for water in supporting AI technologies. As AI innovation continues unabated, ensuring sustainable water access becomes a pressing concern.
Strategies for Sustainable Water Use
Several strategies can help mitigate the water demands of AI and data centers:
- Wastewater Reuse: Companies can treat and reuse wastewater, alleviating pressure on local water supplies and enhancing sustainability.
- Utilizing Treated Municipal Water: Investing in systems to treat and reuse local municipal water can help businesses reduce their freshwater footprint while supporting community water systems.
- Exploring New Water Sources: Options like seawater desalination can provide sustainable water sources for coastal data centers, reducing reliance on freshwater supplies.
- Water Offsets and Credits: Where direct reduction is challenging, companies can invest in water conservation projects elsewhere, effectively balancing their water use through credits or benefits.
Moreover, regions aiming to attract data centers could boost their appeal by investing in robust water infrastructure, such as centralized data centers water treatment and desalination facilities, thus supporting both economic growth and sustainable water use.
Corporate Leadership in Water Stewardship
Leading corporations are adopting water-positive initiatives. PepsiCo’s “Positive Water Impact” aims to replenish more water than the company uses in its high-risk areas by 2030 through watershed protection and efficient water use. Google plans to replenish 120% of its water usage by 2030, focusing on watershed health and sustainable water management. Coca-Cola has met its goal of replenishing 100% of the water used in its products, emphasizing water efficiency and community water projects.
These examples show how businesses can reduce their environmental impact and model sustainable practices for others. However, the reliance on corporate leadership raises questions about the role of governments in water management.
The Role of Government in Water Sustainability
While corporate initiatives are vital, government intervention is crucial to ensure these efforts align with broader environmental goals. Regulations paired with incentives can help integrate corporate water stewardship into a larger framework of sustainable practice, ensuring that efforts to become water-positive are both effective and widespread.
A Shared Commitment to Water Security
As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, so too will the demand for the resources that power it. The responsibility to secure a sustainable water future is not just corporate—it’s a collective one, requiring cooperation across private and public sectors. Only through combined efforts can we hope to maintain water availability for generations to come.
This nuanced approach to AI’s environmental impact highlights the need for awareness and action in managing the water demands of tomorrow’s technologies.
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Ms. Teuerstein has been with IDE since 2011 and has been leading the IDE Water Assets business as of 2018.
Her previous roles included establishing and Heading the Commercial Department of IDE and General Counsel for the IDE group. Lihy has demonstrated a history of working in the business environments of large infrastructure projects in all conservative and alternative procurement methods and is skilled in negotiating complex agreements with project partners, off-takers, and clients. She broadly understands the water infrastructure market worldwide and project development processes.
Lihy has a combined LL.B in Law and Far East Studies from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is a member of the Israel Bar Association. She also has an M.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Tel Aviv University.
