Understanding water use in data centers requires contextualized systems thinking – Reccessary

Report on Water Consumption in Data Centers and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Digital Infrastructure and an Emerging Sustainability Challenge

The rapid global expansion of digital infrastructure, particularly data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing, has brought a critical sustainability issue to the forefront: water consumption. This issue poses a significant challenge to achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The concern is particularly acute in the Asia-Pacific region, the world’s fastest-growing market for digital infrastructure, where new hyperscale facilities are often developed in water-stressed areas. The construction and operation of this critical infrastructure must be reconciled with the principles of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), which calls for building resilient, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure.

The Water-Energy Nexus: A Core Challenge to Sustainable Development

The management of data center resources is complicated by the “water-energy nexus”—the deep interdependence between water and energy consumption. Decisions made to optimize one resource can inadvertently strain the other, creating complex trade-offs that impact sustainability outcomes.

Implications for Key SDGs

This nexus directly influences progress on multiple SDGs:

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Water-intensive cooling systems, often chosen for their energy efficiency, can directly compete with community needs for potable water, undermining the goal of ensuring water availability for all.
• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): Minimizing water use by relying on less energy-efficient air-cooling systems can increase electricity consumption. If this energy is sourced from fossil fuels, it conflicts with the objective of increasing the share of renewable energy.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Increased energy consumption from any source contributes to the heat generated by data centers, creating a feedback loop that requires more cooling. Reliance on non-renewable energy sources for this purpose directly increases carbon emissions.

A narrow focus on single metrics, such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) or Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), is insufficient. Such an approach can lead to counterproductive outcomes, such as incentivizing water-cooled systems in drought-prone regions, thereby failing to address the holistic requirements of the SDGs.

A Framework for Sustainable Data Center Operations

Achieving sustainability in data center operations requires a systems-thinking approach that assesses each project within its unique environmental context. There is no universal solution; strategies must be tailored to local climate, water availability, and energy infrastructure to support community well-being and align with the SDGs.

Strategic Pathways to SDG Alignment

Several key strategies can be implemented to improve water sustainability and ensure data center development contributes positively to the SDG framework:

1. Promote Technological Innovation (SDG 9): Investment in emerging technologies such as chip-level cooling, advanced water treatment systems, and intelligent hybrid cooling solutions can significantly reduce both water and energy footprints. This aligns with SDG 9’s target to upgrade infrastructure for sustainability and foster innovation.
2. Implement Circular Economy Principles (SDG 12): Integrating facilities into the local water cycle supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This includes:
   • Utilizing recycled or reclaimed wastewater.
   • Implementing rainwater harvesting systems.
   • Reusing cooling tower blowdown for other purposes.
   • Exploring waste heat recovery to create value from byproducts.
3. Adopt Localized, Climate-Resilient Design (SDG 11 & SDG 13): Cooling systems must be designed for the local context. In cooler climates, air-cooled systems can minimize water use. In all regions, designs must be resilient to climate change impacts. This approach supports SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by reducing the strain on municipal resources and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by building adaptive capacity.
4. Ensure Strategic Siting and Resource Management (SDG 6 & SDG 7): Location is a critical sustainability lever. Whenever possible, data centers should be located in regions with access to abundant renewable energy sources, cooler climates that permit low-water cooling, and sustainable, non-potable water supplies. This strategic planning is crucial for upholding commitments to both SDG 6 and SDG 7.
5. Cultivate a Proactive Operational Mindset (SDG 12): Continuous monitoring and optimization of water system performance should be prioritized. A commitment to transparency in reporting water and energy use is essential for accountability and drives progress toward the sustainable production patterns outlined in SDG 12.

Conclusion: Systems Thinking for a Sustainable Digital Future

While data centers constitute a small fraction of global water use, their rapid growth and critical role in the digital economy demand exemplary leadership in sustainability. The central issue is not whether data centers use water, but how thoughtfully and efficiently they do so. Adopting a systems-thinking approach that balances energy, water, climate, and community needs is essential for long-term resilience. Through collaboration, transparency, and integrated strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, the digital infrastructure of the future can be both powerful and sustainable.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The article’s primary focus is on the significant water consumption of data centers, particularly in water-stressed regions, and the need for sustainable water management.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The text emphasizes the “water-energy nexus,” linking data center water use to energy consumption for cooling and the type of electricity source (fossil fuels vs. renewables).
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article discusses data centers as a rapidly growing form of digital infrastructure and calls for innovation and sustainable design to reduce their environmental impact.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The impact of data center water consumption on local communities is highlighted, such as the potential to “consume enough drinking water to supply 330,000 residents annually” in Melbourne, raising concerns about resource competition and resilience in urban areas.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The article advocates for resource efficiency, circular water thinking (recycling and reuse), and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the data center industry.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. The article directly addresses this by scrutinizing the high water consumption of data centers and calling for improved efficiency, especially in “water-stressed zones.”

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article supports this by noting that renewable sources like “wind and solar… use virtually none” of the water associated with electricity generation from fossil fuels.
• Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. The article discusses the importance of energy efficiency, mentioning Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) targets, and the trade-offs between energy and water efficiency.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. The article’s call for “technology innovation” like chip-level cooling, “localized design,” and sustainable infrastructure directly aligns with this target.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters, including water-related disasters. The article implies a connection to this target by warning that building water-intensive facilities in “drought-prone” areas could “exacerbate local water stress,” increasing community vulnerability to water scarcity.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The entire article is a call for the efficient use of water and energy resources within the data center industry.
• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The article promotes this through its advocacy for “Circular water thinking,” which includes “using recycled wastewater or harvested rainwater, [and] reusing cooling tower blowdown.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 6

• Water Usage Efficiency (WUE): The article explicitly mentions “water usage efficiency (WUE)” as a metric, which directly relates to measuring progress on Target 6.4.
• Level of Water Stress: The article repeatedly refers to “water-stressed zones” and “drought-prone” areas as critical factors in location strategy, implying that the level of local water stress is a key indicator for assessing sustainability.
• Volume of Water Consumption: Specific figures like “up to 1.7 trillion gallons of water by 2027” and water for “330,000 residents annually” are used to quantify the problem, indicating that the total volume of water withdrawn is a primary indicator.

Indicators for SDG 7

• Power Usage Efficiency (PUE): The article mentions “power usage efficiency (PUE) targets” as a common metric for measuring the energy efficiency of data centers, relevant to Target 7.3.
• Share of Renewable Energy in the Energy Mix: The article implies this as an indicator by contrasting the low water use of “wind and solar” with water-intensive fossil fuels, suggesting that the percentage of renewable energy powering a data center is a measure of its sustainability.

Indicators for SDG 9 & 12

• Adoption of Circular Water Systems: Progress can be measured by the extent to which facilities adopt circular practices. The article implies indicators such as the percentage of water sourced from “recycled wastewater or harvested rainwater” and the volume of “cooling tower blowdown” that is reused.
• Carbon Emissions: The article notes that minimizing water use could “increase energy consumption and carbon emissions,” implying that CO2 emissions are an important indicator to track when making infrastructure and technology choices (Target 9.4).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: reccessary.com