India’s Data Center Surge by Google, Meta, and Amazon Faces Water Sustainability Challenge
India’s data center industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by major players such as Google, Meta, and Amazon. However, this surge brings significant challenges concerning water sustainability. As these companies expand their operations, they face increasing scrutiny over their water use, particularly in water-scarce regions like India.
Water Scarcity Concerns in India
India is home to 18% of the world’s population but possesses only 4% of global water resources. The World Bank highlights that India is among the most water-stressed countries worldwide. This scarcity poses a significant challenge for data centers, whose water consumption is projected to surpass 150 billion liters by 2025, reaching an alarming 358 billion liters by 2030. This escalating demand threatens to deplete local water tables.
Urban Areas Facing Water Challenges
Most data centers in India are clustered in urban regions like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. These cities are already dealing with competing water demands. The rapid growth of data centers might provoke local dissatisfaction, potentially jeopardizing operational licenses and impacting the industry’s long-term viability.
Community Concerns and Advocacy
Activist groups, such as the Human Rights Forum, have voiced concerns over the impact of data centers on local water resources. Particularly in Visakhapatnam, where a Google data center is proposed, advocates warn that the city is already experiencing acute water stress. Such developments could exacerbate existing challenges and lead to heightened community opposition.
Regulatory Blind Spots
While India has regulations addressing data protection and energy use in data center development, water use remains largely unregulated. Experts like Sahana Goswami from WRI India stress that this blind spot raises significant risks for the industry. An S&P Global study forecasts that between 60% and 80% of India’s data centers will encounter high water stress in the coming decade.
Potential Operational Disruptions
The implications of water scarcity on data centers could be severe. If cooling systems cannot function due to a lack of water, critical services relying on these centers—such as banking and healthcare—could experience interruptions. This cascading effect could reshape operational reliability across multiple sectors.
Innovative Solutions for Water Management
Experts advocate for adopting innovative water management practices to mitigate these issues. Companies should explore using treated domestic and industrial wastewater, which could lessen their dependence on scarce freshwater sources. Examples of successful applications of this strategy already exist in Navi Mumbai.
Recommendations from Experts
- Mandatory use of non-potable water for cooling systems.
- Select low-stress water basins for future data center projects.
- Adopt zero-water cooling technologies to reduce overall consumption.
Experts like Praveen Ramamurthy from the Indian Institute of Science emphasize the need for regions to prioritize sustainable practices in data center operations. Addressing water sustainability now can ensure the long-term viability of India’s burgeoning data center industry.
