US data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, roughly three times the estimated total in 2014, according to a Congressional Research Service report published by the Library of Congress. The estimate includes water used directly for cooling and indirectly to generate the electricity powering facilities. More than 80% of the total water footprint came from electricity generation, while direct consumption accounted for a relatively small share of overall US water use. The federal government does not systematically track data-center water consumption, so the figure is an estimate assembled from incomplete state and local data rather than a facility-by-facility national accounting. Cooling choices shift demand between water and electricity. Evaporative systems generally use less energy but consume substantial water, while air-cooled systems reduce on-site water use while generally requiring more power. Municipal drinking-water systems supplied 97% of water used by US data centers in the CRS estimate, creating local competition for constrained supplies. The report says AI infrastructure is increasing electricity demand through denser specialized hardware, and consumption may have risen since its data ended in 2023. US water reporting remains fragmented because states and local utilities set requirements, and some municipal service agreements limit disclosure. Members of Congress have introduced bills on reporting and water reuse, though most remain at the introduction stage. European Union rules require data-center operators to report annual freshwater consumption.

NFL player Jason Kelce appears in a Garage Beer and Liquid Death advertisement that satirically asks viewers to send urine to AI data centers to cool their facilities. Kelce says in the commercial that AI data centers “waste millions of gallons of water,” then sings with other performers, “We want your pee” and “Let’s pee on computers together.” The ad ends with performers walking to a post office as a voiceover tells viewers to drink Garage Beer or Liquid Death Sparkling Energy and send their urine to an AI data center of their choice. A disclaimer says viewers should not actually mail urine to data centers associated with Sam Altman or Elon Musk. The campaign uses the water demands of data centers as the basis for its joke and has drawn online attention as a signal of hostility toward the AI industry. The source text cites a Fox News poll reporting that 70% of respondents opposed data centers, while also claiming public opposition to data centers and surveillance technologies such as Flock cameras spans political affiliations. The source characterizes AI-related water use and expanding surveillance infrastructure as major drivers of public anger.

Vehicle-based temperature measurements around four operational data centers in metropolitan Phoenix found warmer air in residential areas downwind of the facilities. Traverses conducted from June 18 through October 25, 2025 measured maximum downwind warming of 2.2 °C and average downwind temperatures 0.7–0.9 °C above corresponding upwind areas. Thermal signatures were detected 100–500 m from facility perimeters. The sites included CyrusOne, Aligned, and Digital Realty facilities in Chandler and NTT PH1 in Mesa. At CyrusOne, a 169 MW colocation campus, average temperatures were 0.8 °C higher 500 m downwind on June 18 and 0.5 °C higher during a separate August traverse. Measurements at Aligned found 0.7 °C warming, Digital Realty recorded a 1.0 °C average difference and about 2 °C maximum difference, and NTT PH1 recorded a roughly 0.9 °C signal 300–500 m downwind. Air-cooled data centers convert nearly all IT electricity consumption into sensible heat. NTT PH1’s 36 MW IT load is estimated to draw about 47 MW total and reject heat comparable to roughly 40,000 households, while the 169 MW CyrusOne campus is comparable to more than 180,000 households. The researchers describe the observations as initial evidence from a limited sample and plan broader measurements and microscale modeling to assess mitigation options.

From 2006 to 2025, France experienced an average of 15,000 hectares burned by fires each year. In 2023, a fire near Bordeaux burned nearly three times that area in just six days, while over 300,000 people were evacuated due to advancing fires near Madrid.

Public sentiment against AI is leading to political repercussions, with some politicians losing their jobs due to voter backlash. Data center projects are generating controversy in the U.S., influenced by competing interests and concerns related to their environmental and operational impacts.

New York has enacted a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, making it the first state to implement such a measure. The moratorium aims to address concerns regarding energy consumption and environmental impact associated with data centers.

Meta's data center water discharges have been suspended due to contamination of Cheyenne's reclamation water supply with a rare bacterium. The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has revoked the discharge privileges for industrial wastewater from data center operations following the incident.

Erin Brockovich has created a tool to map data centers across the United States and provides a form for community members to report on these centers and their local impacts. The initiative aims to address the varying reception of data centers in different towns, where some are welcomed while others face delays or opposition.

Utah has approved the construction of a datacenter that will span over 40,000 acres, more than twice the size of Manhattan. The facility, known as Stratos, will require approximately 9GW of power, raising concerns about its energy consumption and impact on local water supplies.

SpaceX plans to launch one million satellites into orbit, which could significantly impact the atmosphere and the visibility of the night sky. Scientists express concern over the long-term effects of such a massive increase in satellite presence, including potential air pollution and emissions.