Water use by data centers is often reported as a single footprint, but it is consumed through two distinct pathways: onsite for cooling and in the power system generating electricity. We mapped both pathways for 472 U.S. hyperscale facilities, linking facility locations to electricity regions, hydrologic basins, and water-stress data.
Under baseline assumptions, operational water consumption totals approximately 300 GL/yr (range 205-451 across scenarios), with electricity-related water contributing three-quarters of the total. The two pathways create different hotspot geographies: direct cooling burdens are concentrated in stressed western and south-central basins, while electricity-related burdens are found in a few eastern grid regions with fossil-heavy supply.
Just 3 of 24 hosting balancing authorities account for 59% of electricity-related water. Separating pathways identifies critical decisions: local cooling design and water sourcing, regional electricity planning and procurement.