Thread · HN Continuity

This article seems to focus on one of the less interesting in terms of water usage data centers (for most of us non-locals) because the paper is from Lincoln and that data center is in Lincoln.

The article's data center used 13 mil gal of water, but as they point out another one used up more than 500 mil gallon.

Seemingly much better article (pictures, better comparisons): <a href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/data-centers-can-guzzle-serious-water-as-some-nebraskans-worry-tech-giants-seek-solutions/" rel="nofollow">https://flatwaterfreepress.org/data-centers-can-guzzle-serio...

Apparently Google self-reported the total 700+ million, so the main thing to learn from redacted numbers is how much smaller all the other data centers are compared to the 500 mil gallon one.

Update: in terms of water usage. Not sure whether 500 mil gallon one is larger or just really water-inefficient. That would be a nice thing for some journalist to research...

Update 2: it seems that Google uses water-evaporation cooling in regions that they don't consider water-stressed. Here's a not-so-great reference (scroll down if the text-fragment link doesn't work): <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/03/google-pushes-water-standards-data-center-backlash#:~:text=The%20company%20argues%20evaporative%20cooling%20can%20be%20the%20better%20environmental%20choice%20in%20places%20where%20water%20supplies%20aren%27t%20under%20stress%20because%20it%20reduces%20electricity%20demand" rel="nofollow">https://www.axios.com/2026/06/03/google-pushes-water-standar...