US AI Data Centers Strain Water Supplies and Create Noise Pollution

Rapid growth of artificial‑intelligence workloads has pushed water use by U.S. data centers to almost one trillion liters per year, according to industry reports. The surge stems from evaporative‑cooling systems that vaporise large volumes of water, stressing municipal supplies especially in water‑stressed regions such as Texas. Companies including Google and Amazon have noted higher emissions linked to AI expansion, while some firms tout new warm‑water cooling technologies as a mitigation.

In Michigan, a couple living opposite a 30‑megawatt hyperscale data center report a persistent high‑pitched hum that has risen from about 52 dB in 2022 to over 60 dB, disrupting sleep and daily life. Neighbours have filed lawsuits alleging inadequate sound barriers, and the facility plans a major expansion that could worsen the noise. Similar complaints are emerging in other U.S. states as AI‑driven data centers multiply nationwide.