Google datacenters’ secret cost: Billions of gallons of water

A file photo of Google's datacentre in Hamina, Finland. Fashioned out of a former paper mill, the datacentre opened in May 2011 and uses seawater from the Bay of Finland for its high tech cooling system, which helps it cut energy use. — Google

In August 2019, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association built a 16-foot pyramid of jugs in its main entrance in Phoenix. The goal was to show residents of this desert region how much water they each use a day — 120 gallons — and to encourage conservation.

"We must continue to do our part every day,” executive director Warren Tenney wrote in a blog post. "Some of us are still high-end water users who could look for more ways to use water a bit more wisely.”