Every time you fire off a quick prompt or query to your AI assistant, be it ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than we realize. All those responses are powered by massive data centers that reportedly gulp millions of gallons of water to keep servers cool. Modern AI infrastructure is so thirsty that a single 100-megawatt data center can use up to 2 million liters of water per day for cooling alone. That roughly translates to the daily water needs of about 6,500 households. But it seems that demand isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.
A report from Morgan Stanley forecasts that AI data centers could consume around 1,068 billion liters of water annually by 2028. In other words, that’s an 11x increase over current estimates as computational demand and cooling needs grow (via Economic Times). Those growing water demands have already started to concern local communities, especially in areas where drought and limited supplies are already a problem. To give you an example, Microsoft had to scrap its Wisconsin data center plan back in October 2025 due to pushback from local communities.
OpenAI has its say regarding AI infrastructure’s growing strain on local resources
OpenAI, which is actively investing in new data centers, is well aware of this and has decided to address the growing concerns across local communities. The company has pledged to minimize its water usage and cover energy infrastructure upgrades related to its data centers. “We’re being good neighbors,” the company said, directly addressing concerns about rising utility bills and resource strain near its facilities.
The company is reportedly committed to paying its own way on energy, so its operations don’t increase local electricity prices. It further said that it will work with communities to reduce the footprint of its Stargate data centers. While OpenAI didn’t outline exact water-saving methods, it said the impact could be limited through innovations in cooling water systems and AI design that reduce overall water consumption.
OpenAI also highlighted how much water is often used, including potable water, to cool data centers, which has been a common point of concern across local communities. This comes amid similar pledges from other major tech companies, like Microsoft. Putting it simply, the AI infrastructure footprint isn’t just about electricity and carbon anymore, but also water, another resource communities rely on every day.
Only time will tell how soon the promised measures will be adopted
As AI continues to expand, and assistants like ChatGPT and Claude handle more health, work, and research questions, that environmental cost is moving to the forefront of public discussions. For now, OpenAI’s pledge suggests that the industry is listening, but real change will depend on how quickly these water-saving innovations are put into practice.
