Google rolls out a water-conscious data-center framework

Google unveils a formal water-management framework for its data centers, pledging to return more water to local watersheds than it uses by 2030, cut water-intensive cooling in stressed regions, fund local water upgrades, pursue alternatives like reclaimed wastewater, and disclose annual usage; the move packages long-standing practices as a standard and aims to push industry adoption. In 2024 Google used 7.2 billion gallons of freshwater and replenished about 4.5 billion (64%), with two-thirds of centers using evaporative cooling and the rest relying on air cooling or recycled water, illustrating the trade-off between preserving water supplies and electricity use.