Total operational water "footprint" of data centers in 2018: 5.13 * 10^8 m^3. Of that, indirect consumption through electricity generation: 3.83 * 10^8 m^3, or 74.7%. And indirect consumption related to water and wastewater utilities (non-electicity production): 4.50 * 10^5 m^3, or 0.09%.
The study then does a reasonable job of discussing the concerns of building data centers in water-stressed places.
This article seems to be another "didn't read the study, saw big number" thing.
Total operational water "footprint" of data centers in 2018: 5.13 * 10^8 m^3. Of that, indirect consumption through electricity generation: 3.83 * 10^8 m^3, or 74.7%. And indirect consumption related to water and wastewater utilities (non-electicity production): 4.50 * 10^5 m^3, or 0.09%.
The study then does a reasonable job of discussing the concerns of building data centers in water-stressed places.
This article seems to be another "didn't read the study, saw big number" thing.
[1] https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abfba1 (PDF page 7, section 3.1)