Thirsty Servers, Dry Towns

By: Brad Martineau, CEO of Gneuton

Date Published: October 10, 2025

In the American West, water scarcity is no longer a distant threat as it’s a daily reality. Rivers run low, aquifers are overdrawn, and communities brace for droughts that arrive not in decades, but in seasons. Yet even as water becomes more precious, a new industrial force is accelerating its depletion: the hyperscale AI data center.

These sprawling facilities, some exceeding a million square feet, are the backbone of our digital lives. They power AI models, store our photos, and stream our entertainment. But behind the sleek promise of the cloud lies a hidden thirst. These new AI data centers consume staggering volumes of water, both directly for cooling and indirectly through the electricity they require. In 2023 alone, U.S. data centers used 17 billion gallons of water for cooling, with projections suggesting that number could quadruple by 2028.

The problem isn’t just scale but also geography. Many of these facilities are being built in water-stressed regions. For example, in The Dalles, Oregon, Google’s data center draws from the Columbia River, competing with local agricultural and municipal needs. In Iowa, a single data center consumed 1 billion gallons of water in 2024, which is enough to supply every resident in the state for five days. And in Port Washington, Wisconsin, a proposed mega-center threatens to tap into the Great Lakes basin, a vital resource for over 40 million people.

This is not just a tech issue at this point. It’s now a national infrastructure crisis. According to Bluefield Research, hyperscale data centers will withdraw around 150.4 billion gallons of water between 2025 and 2030, equivalent to the annual usage of 4.6 million U.S. households. As municipalities struggle with aging water systems, permitting delays, and climate-driven shortages, the unchecked expansion of data infrastructure risks overwhelming local resilience.

The irony is painful: AI, hailed as a tool to solve global challenges, is being deployed in ways that exacerbate one of our most urgent ones. The race to build faster, smarter, and more powerful models is outpacing our ability to manage their environmental footprint. And while tech giants tout sustainability pledges, transparency remains elusive. Many companies do not disclose their water usage, thus leaving communities in the dark about the true cost of digital growth.

But there is a way forward and one that doesn’t pit innovation against sustainability.

At Gneuton, we have architected a regenerative AI infrastructure designed to reverse this trend. Our systems repurpose the thermal waste of the existing gas turbines, optimize energy-water cycles, and integrate real-time telemetry for predictive maintenance and exception-based reporting. Instead of draining ecosystems, we aim to replenish them. Gneuton’s modular deployments are built for water-starved regions. We prioritize closing the cooling loop, advanced reuse technologies, and site-specific environmental modeling. Our infrastructure doesn’t just minimize harm as it can actively contribute to water security.

The future of AI must be regenerative. It must serve not only the cloud, but the ground beneath it. As we rapidly scale digital infrastructure, we must also start immediately scaling our responsibility to the ecosystems, communities, and to the generations that follow. Fresh water is not a limitless resource. But with vision, discipline, and the right technology, it can be protected and even replenished. The choice is ours.

Statements regarding future plans or outcomes of Gneuton reflect current expectations and are subject to change based on operational, regulatory, and environmental factors.

About Bradley J. Martineau

Bradley J. Martineau is the CEO of Gneuton, an innovative technology company delivering massively scalable and affordable, carbon-neutral solution for purifying oilfield produced water and power plant raw water while providing cheap off-grid electricity for AI Data Centers. He is also the Author of the Amazon Best Seller 'The AI-Enabled Executive' and frequently speaks on AI as well as provides strategic and responsible AI consulting for executives and organizations.

DISCLOSURE: The images in this Article were AI-generated. AI was also used in this Article to brainstorm and expand on thoughts and ideas, research articles, and for editing.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, business, or financial advice. No part of this article is intended to create, nor does it constitute, an attorney-client, financial advisor-client, or professional relationship. You should seek the advice of qualified professionals in the respective fields before making any decisions based on the information provided. Bradley J. Martineau is not responsible for any actions taken or decisions made based on the content of this article.