Strategies for Sustainable Water Consumption in Data Centers

Water has become increasingly scarce in many areas of the world due to droughts, low water tables, and wells running dry. In some places, there is intense competition for water resources between farming, urban sprawl, and IT. Some data centers are already feeling the pinch. Many more will soon.

The stark reality is that data centers consume too much water. The rate of water consumption in US data centers, for example, is around 1.7 billion liters per day. Hence, the regulatory and environmental pressure to lower water usage and eliminate the use of potable water is ramping up.

Now is the time for the industry to get serious about water sustainability in the same way it tackled power efficiency. Average power usage effectiveness (PUE) dropped from more than 2.5 to 1.6, according to Uptime Institute, in less than 20 years. This was achieved by developing a workable metric that was embraced by vendors and the user community who worked closely together to eliminate areas of waste and inefficiency.

Similar gains must be made on water usage before this precious resource becomes highly constrained and local communities seek to block data center expansion over water availability. This comprehensive guide breaks down:

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