Map Shows States Using the Most Water for Data Centers
The states that account of roughly half of U.S. data centers are using huge amounts of water to generate electricity.
A new report highlights seven U.S. states that rely on the most freshwater for powering data centers. The study, released by sustainability nonprofit Ceres in August 2026, analyzed California, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Georgia and Ohio, accounting for roughly half of the nation's data centers. California had the highest water withdrawals for data-center electricity use, estimated at 1.4 trillion gallons per year, while Virginia and Arizona followed at 753 billion and 520 billion gallons, respectively.
Ohio recorded the lowest water withdrawal among the seven states. The majority of electricity for data centers comes from power plants using water to generate power, with California leading in water usage due to its reliance on hydroelectric power. States with larger numbers of data centers, like Virginia, do not necessarily have higher water demands compared to those with fewer centers but different electricity generation mixes.
The study also found that 93 percent of water usage electricity generation occurred in areas with drought conditions, and 79 percent in water-stressed regions. Researchers warn that water withdrawals for data centers could surge significantly by 2030 as artificial intelligence drives increased demand for computing power.
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