Many large-scale data centers use water to cool the enormous amount of heat generated by their servers. Depending on the design, a single facility may require significant volumes of water every day.
In Florida, where communities depend on aquifers and face pressures on drinking water supplies, that demand deserves careful scrutiny.
Why It Matters
- Some large facilities may require significant water resources for cooling and other operational needs.
- Water used for cooling can compete with residential, agricultural, and environmental needs.
- Florida’s aquifers, springs, and wetlands are sensitive to sustained withdrawals.
- Communities should understand a project’s full water demand before it is approved, not after.
Water is a finite public resource. Counties should evaluate whether a facility’s water demand is compatible with long-term community and environmental needs.