Assembly hearing urges better data on water use by data centers and other large CII users At an informational hearing, California State Assembly members heard agency and expert testimony that existing CII reporting leaves gaps—especially for data centers whose cooling systems are classed as ‘process water’—and called for more granular data, local planning tools and targeted best-management practices rather than one-size-fits-all cuts.

California's water future hangs in the balance as lawmakers confront alarming gaps in data center water use—will they find the answers needed to safeguard this vital resource?

Learn more here

#CA #DataTransparency #CitizenPortal #WaterUse #SustainablePractices

Millions cutting back on water as bills rise, putting hygiene and health at risk - Water Magazine Around a third of people in England and Wales who are cutting back on their water usage because of cost say it is negatively affecting their health (33%).

Millions cutting back on water as bills rise, putting hygiene and health at risk

www.watermagazine.co.uk/2026/03/05/m...

#WaterUsage #WaterConsumption #WaterBills #WaterCost #WaterUse @independentage.bsky.social

Committee clears inland-port technical amendments after water-use concerns, 8–1 The committee favorably recommended the second substitute to SB 225, which clarifies inland-port boundaries, distribution-center definitions, and project-area procedures; public commenters urged basinwide water-use caps, and Inland Port officials said the sub defers to local caps and that they will avoid water-cooled data centers.

Senator Stevenson just unveiled crucial amendments to SB 225 that could reshape water use and development protocols for the inland port—are local limits enough to protect our wetlands?

Learn more here

#UT #CitizenPortal #LocalGovernance #WaterUse #EnvironmentalProtection

MPs to examine data centres climate impact as Miliband says future demand “inherently uncertain” - Water Magazine MPs have launched a new inquiry on the environmental impacts of data centres in the UK, to examine topics such as energy and water use.

MPs to examine data centres climate impact as Miliband says future demand “inherently uncertain”...

www.watermagazine.co.uk/2026/02/27/m...

#DataCentres #WaterUse #EnergyUse #NetZero

Korea AI Data Expansion Raises Power And Water Pressure Concerns | 1Tak News Korea AI Data expansion is increasing electricity capacity and water use, prompting debate over regulation and grid costs.

South Korea’s AI Boom Sparks Silent Strain on Power and Water

#SouthKorea #AIData #DataCenters #EnergyDemand #PowerGrid #WaterUse #TechPolicy #AIExpansion #DigitalInfra #GridPressure

1tak.com/korea-ai-dat...

Mexico and US look for new deal in long-running battle over 80-year old water treaty | IwPost Mexico has been at odds with the US for years about a long-running treaty which requires it to supply its neighbour with billions of gallons of water.

Mexico and US look for new deal in long-running battle over 80-year old water treaty   #DonaldTrump #Drought #Globalwatercrisis #Mexico #Wateraccess #Wateruse

Does adding ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to your ChatGPT prompts really waste energy? | The-14 Do polite AI prompts waste energy? Extra words barely matter; the real climate cost lies in data centres, water use and rising AI demand worldwide.

Does adding ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to your ChatGPT prompts really waste energy?
#AI #ChatGPT #ClimateChange #DataCentres #Energy #Sustainability #Environment #TechEthics #WaterUse #DigitalInfrastructure #ElectricityDemand #GreenTech #ClimatePolicy #Tech
the-14.com/does-adding-...

County hears presentation on data centers, utility and environmental concerns A presentation by Mecklenburg County administrator Alex Gottschalk described his county’s decade-long experience with data centers and highlighted utility, water and environmental impacts; Calvert County commissioners said the briefing was informational as they continue to evaluate the issue.

Mecklenburg County's experience with data centers reveals shocking insights on water use and rising electricity costs—are similar challenges looming for Calvert County?

Read the full story

#CalvertCounty #MD #EnvironmentalImpact #WaterUse #ElectricityDemand #CitizenPortal

Pulaski County plan commission backs 12‑month moratorium on data‑center permit applications After a public hearing Jan. 26, the Pulaski County Planning Commission voted to forward a 12‑month moratorium (effective Jan. 26, 2026) on acceptance of data‑center permit applications to the board of commissioners, citing the need for study of water use, setbacks and public safety.

Pulaski County is hitting the brakes on new data-center permits for a whole year to ensure proper regulations are in place, sparking a heated public debate on water use and community impact.

Get the details!

#PulaskiCounty #IN #WaterUse #PublicSafety #PulaskiCountyDataCenters #CitizenPortal

Data Centers: Massive Water Use vs. Server Cooling! #shorts YouTube video by CurioPhile

youtube.com/shorts/vVInJ...

#datacenter #AIbubble #wateruse totally wasteful and insane.

GFFA panel guests discussed the challenges of efficient water use in Eastern European and Central Asian agriculture On 16 January 2026, IAMO and the German Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) organised a panel discussion on “Getting to the point: sustainable water use and innovative agricultural technologies in Eastern Eur...

#GFFA panel guests discussed the challenges of efficient #WaterUse in #EasternEuropean and #CentralAsian #agriculture. Please find the results of the event here: t1p.de/olyfb

#ClimateChange #WaterManagement #FoodSecurity #FoodProduction #Ukraine #Kazakhstan #GAA #CityCubeBerlin

The big drains on water aren’t art generators — they’re agriculture, industry, and a century of mismanagement.

You could remove every data center today and not solve this.

AI should not be the scapegoat for performative outrage.

We don’t have time for it.

#AI #antiAI #wateruse #environment

Thirsty Data: The Hidden Water and Energy Costs of Texas’ Data Center Boom - Houston Advanced Research Center Without forward-looking data center water policies, communities will be forced into reactive, costly, and risky decisions.

Thirsty Data: The Hidden Water and Energy Costs of Texas’ Data Center Boom harcresearch.org/news/thirsty... #HARC #HoustonAdvancedResearchCenter #WaterUse #WaterUsage #WaterConsumption #DataCenters #AI #generativeAI #genAI #TechIndustry #Tech #EnvironmentalHarms #EnergyUse #EnergyConsumption

Microsoft vows to cover full power costs for energy-hungry AI data centers https://arstechni.ca #communitydevelopment #AIinfrastructure #machinelearning #propertytaxes #skilledtrades #datacenters #DonaldTrump #electricity #AItraining #bradsmith #microsoft #wateruse #Biz&IT #Amazon #google…

Regulators warn Welsh Water to accelerate progress on leakage and demand reduction - Water Magazine UK water regulators have urged Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to step up efforts to cut leakage and household water use.

UK water regulators have urged Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to step up efforts to cut leakage and household water use, despite recognising improvements in performance over the past year...

www.watermagazine.co.uk/2026/01/09/r...

#Leakage #WaterSector #WaterLeaks #WaterUse #WaterConsumption