Texas AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons Amid Drought, Residents Urged to Reduce Showers
When AI campuses drink millions while residents ration showers, a tech-water contradiction emerges.
Amid the ongoing worsening drought condition in Texas, the State’s residents face an unexpected water dilemma: while communities are urged to conserve every drop, even cutting back on simple showers, massive new AI data centers are quietly using millions of gallons daily to keep their operations running, as per a report.
Microsoft’s Stargate Campus Leads the AI Data Center Boom
Microsoft’s Stargate campus in Abilene is leading a surge in data center construction, promising to become one of the world’s largest hubs supporting advanced artificial intelligence technology, as per a report by Techie + Gamers.
Texas AI Data Centers Use Millions of Gallons of Water Amid Severe Drought
But behind this high-tech promise lies a growing environmental concern: water consumption. According to a July 2025 investigation by The Austin Chronicle, data centers across Central Texas, including Microsoft and US Army Corps facilities in San Antonio, used a combined 463 million gallons of water in 2023 and 2024 alone, as reported by Techie + Gamers. That’s enough water to meet the needs of tens of thousands of households, according to the report.
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