Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan was quoted in a Times-Picayune article investigating the water use of Meta’s planned AI-data center in rural northeast Louisiana. New reporting revealed the facility will use an average of 1.5 million gallons of water per day, raising questions about how large industrial water users are monitored and regulated.
Professor Scanlan was quoted in the story, noting that while some AI-data centers rely on “closed-loop” cooling systems, the overall water footprint can be larger than it appears once the water used to generate electricity is considered. “Ironically, you might be using more water,” Scanlan said.
Researchers and policymakers cited in the article warned that Louisiana lacks robust oversight of groundwater withdrawals, even as AI-data centers expand rapidly nationwide, underscoring the need for clearer regulation as AI infrastructure grows.
Read the full story here: How much water will Meta’s Louisiana data center use? New details unveiled for first time.
Read more of the Center for Water Policy’s research on data centers:
- Powering Progress or Peril? The Hidden Environmental Costs of Data Centers and AI | Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal
- Data centers consume massive amounts of water – companies rarely tell the public exactly how much | The Conversation
- Inside ESG Reporting: Thirsty Data Centers Reveal Limits to Transparency | American Bar Association