Understanding The Impact of Data Centers on Our Rivers
- Ava Barlow
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing has triggered a rapid expansion of data centers across the United States. According to the industry database, Data Center Map, there are at least 4,000 data centers across the U.S., with already 126 in New England states.² These facilities “use or [are] able to use twenty megawatts or more of power and [are] engaged in providing data processing, hosting, and related services as described under code 518210 of the 2022 North American Industry Classification System.”⁵ They are also often framed as engines of economic growth. However, a largely overlooked cost is the strain on our water systems, especially rivers and local watersheds.
Data centers run twenty-four hours a day, generating enormous heat that must be constantly managed.⁴ Most facilities rely on water-intensive cooling systems, consuming anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 gallons per day.⁴ The largest “hyperscale” centers can use up to five million gallons daily, roughly equivalent to the water consumption of a small city such as Concord, NH.³ This water is often drawn from the same public supplies that serve residents, farmers, and local ecosystems, many of which are directly connected to nearby rivers and watersheds.⁴ In many cases, it is not returned to the watershed, as much of it evaporates during the cooling process.³
The impact does not stop there. A report from Ceres found that indirect water use, primarily from power generation to meet massive energy needs, has an even greater impact than data centers’ direct on-site water use.¹ Power plants (especially those fueled by coal, gas, or nuclear energy) require vast quantities of water for cooling and steam generation.⁴ In 2022 alone, 40% of total U.S. water withdrawals, or about 48.5 trillion gallons, were made by coal and gas power plants.⁴ As demand for data centers continues to surge, so too will the hidden water footprint tied to their electricity consumption.
Equally concerning is water quality. Data centers often use chemical treatments such as biocides and corrosion inhibitors in their cooling systems.⁴ These substances, along with trace heavy metals, can enter water systems.⁴ Evaporative cooling can also release salt particles into the air, which eventually settle into nearby soils and waterways.⁴ This increases salinity and harms aquatic life. Impacts like these compound existing environmental stressors and threaten long-term ecosystem health. Ceres states, “[d]ata center growth could increase water stress in already strained basins by up to 17% annually, with even higher spikes in peak seasons.”¹
Some prominent bills regarding data centers have been introduced in a few New England states:
In Connecticut, SB245 is an act that would eliminate certain tax incentives for data centers. Currently, Connecticut has in place a Data Center Tax Incentive Program that allows the State to provide tax exemptions to eligible data centers within the state and make a minimum investment.⁷
In New Hampshire, SB439 was passed by the Senate and would authorize municipalities to regulate data centers in commercial and industrial zones.
In Maine, LD 307 is an act “to establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council and place a temporary limitation on certain data centers.” This bill places a moratorium on data centers with a load of twenty megawatts or more. LD 307 passed in both the House and Senate. Maine has officially become the first state with a data center ban.⁶
In Massachusetts, H83 would establish a special legislative commission to investigate and study the increasing electricity load caused by AI and data centers.
In Vermont, H.727 is an act relating to sustainable data center deployment. The purpose of the bill is “to establish a regulatory framework that ensures responsible growth of an emerging industry in a manner that protects existing electric ratepayers from unwarranted costs and promotes sustainable climate, environmental, community, and equity outcomes consistent with State policies.”⁵
States across the Connecticut River region and beyond must adopt policies to reduce dire impacts to our waterways and environment. Without thoughtful planning and regulation, data center expansion risks quietly draining the very resources communities rely on most. Water is finite, local, and essential. As states compete to attract data centers, they must ensure that short-term economic gains do not come at the long-term expense of rivers, ecosystems, and public trust.
