Friends of CMNH Science Series | Quenching Our Thirst for Data Centers: Policy Solutions to Manage Water Use

Join the Friends of CMNH on the second Saturday of each month at 10am for coffee, refreshments, and conversation, followed at 10:30am by the Friends of CMNH Science Series.

In August 2025, the Alliance for the Great Lakes published a study warning of the potential for large, water-using sectors like data centers, agriculture, and critical minerals mining to tax our water supplies. During this presentation, Helena Volzer, Senior Source Water Policy Manager and one of the report’s authors, will describe the intersection of large-scale water use, climate pressures, and policy gaps with respect to water-intensive industries. She will share insights on future demand, water resource impacts, and policy solutions for sustainably managing large water use.

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and CoPilot is surging—and to power these tools, so is the expansion of data centers. While data centers can provide important technological and economic development benefits, more focus is needed on their water use. Data centers, particularly hyperscale data centers, use vast quantities of water to cool servers. When those data centers are powered by nuclear energy or fossil fuels, more water is consumed in cooling power plants.

The scale of this consumptive water use is massive: U.S. data centers directly consumed about 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023, and that figure is expected to double by 2028.

Ohio's surface and groundwater resources have made it an attractive place for large water-using industries to locate. However, with simultaneously competing demand for water from agriculture, industry, and residential use, Ohio and its communities face complex trade-offs in managing finite water supplies.

This event is open to the public. Registration is required, whether you plan to attend the 10:30am talk in person or virtually. You will receive the Zoom link in your registration confirmation email.

Tickets

Friends of CMNH: Free
Nonmembers: $10

Friends of CMNH members: Please sign in to your account to receive your discount. The program will be discounted after you add it to your shopping cart.