Q&A: Could AI data centres actually benefit Canada’s water systems? - Water Canada

With hyperscale data centres, water governance faces its biggest challenge

Hyperscale data centres are adding new pressure to already stressed freshwater systems, testing whether governments can allocate, monitor and protect water fairly.

Q&A: Could AI data centres actually benefit Canada’s water systems? - Water Canada

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) expands rapidly across North America, the vast energy and water footprint required to cool high-density data centres has sparked widespread debate. Across many watersheds, these facilities are drawing heavily on municipal drinking water supplies, a practice that places increasing pressure on local infrastructure already challenged by climate change and aging assets. Yet, where many see a crisis, Soula Chronopoulos…