H2Ozarks shares information about data center water impact

Much has been shared recently about the possible building of additional data centers in Missouri to house AI functions. While data centers are not new, the growth in numbers and sizes of centers specifically to host artificial intelligence has significantly increased the impact of such centers, given the mind-boggling numbers of calculations taking place each and every second of each and every day. 

In early May, news outlets throughout Missouri shared about an informational session held for legislators, with experts on hand to share about potential risks and rewards. Much of the information at that meeting centered around the positives: job creation, tax revenue and keeping up with technology, with a Missouri News Network article quoting an operating engineers’ union statement that 200 Missourians were put to work in two data centers just this year. 

The meeting was not without some concerns, primarily the risk of increased prices for electricity to the average consumer. Legislative committee members assured those present that engineering reviews are conducted before agreeing to serve a data center, with large load customers bearing the brunt of energy costs, which could possibly even apply downward pressure on rates paid by regular customers. Those responding to concerns also referred to a 2025 Senate bill that put safeguards in place. 

A lone voice in the room expressing concern that more regulation is needed was that of John Coffman with the Consumers Council, who pointed out possible loopholes and suggested looking into requirements that data centers construct their own energy sources. 

Another concern addressed briefly was that of noise pollution. One engineering expert compared the noise level to that of a lawnmower; although anecdotally, comments on social media asked whether the lawnmower was right next door and/or in the middle of the night. Other comments on news articles mentioned disturbances to wildlife and ecological balance. 

Reading the follow-up reports, however, it was apparent that one question was either not asked at the meeting, or not addressed significantly enough for news outlets to mention: The impact on Missouri’s water. One area nonprofit organization, however, is attempting to fix that lack of information, by researching and reporting the potential impact of new data center construction on what is not only a necessity for daily life but also a significant contributor to the Ozarks economy. 

H2Ozarks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to protect water quality in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. For over two decades, the group has worked to foster community action through education, outreach and public policy, coordinating public engagement through volunteer sample collection, scheduled shoreline clean-ups and science-based strategies. Now they have picked up the task of thoroughly researching the impact of AI data centers and sharing their findings in a three-part series on their website, https://h2ozarks.org/about-us/. 

In the series, H2Ozarks shares explanations, understandable to the average reader, of 1) how AI data centers use water; 2) comparisons to water use by data centers compared to other ways water is used across the country; and 3) what policies are needed to shape water resource consumption moving forward. The group’s aim is to help readers understand why these concerns matter for Ozarks water resources and what actions citizens can take. 

Just a quick overview of the first article in the series was eye-opening on several points: 

• We’re talking a LOT of water, continuously cooling a huge system, with one of the most common methods being evaporative water-cooling, which works similar to sweating. 

• While water vapor eventually reenters the water cycle through precipitation, it is highly unlikely to return to the same watershed/water table from which it was taken. 

• Most existing data centers rely on local/municipal water supplies, meaning they may be competing with local commercial and residential needs. 

• Water is a finite resource; water tables can be depleted. This adds geography as an additional concern, as data center clusters are being built in areas of the country with cheaper land, tax incentives and large rural expanses; but such regions are often the least prepared to absorb a sudden large-scale increase in demand. 

• Long-term impacts of build-up of minerals or trace chemicals are just starting to be studied, but it is likely that treatment could be required, adding costs to be absorbed by someone. 

This question is clearly a complex one, but H2Ozarks is committed to finding and sharing facts so that consumers/voters can make an informed decision when considering further construction in or near the Ozarks. Stay up to date by visiting the website and Facebook page regularly for the continuation of the article series and ways citizens can get involved in keeping our Ozarks waters clean and beneficial to our communities.