Alliance for the Great Lakes Warns AI Data Center Water Risk

The Alliance for the Great Lakes released a report warning that the proliferation of AI-driven data centers threatens water sustainability across the Great Lakes basin. These facilities require massive volumes of water for server cooling and electricity production, yet many operators avoid public disclosure of their consumption through non-disclosure agreements. This lack of transparency creates a conflict between industrial needs and residential water security.

Illinois is particularly vulnerable as the fourth-most populous state for data centers. In Minooka, a proposed facility could require between 3 million and 6 million gallons of water daily in an area where groundwater is projected to dry up within five years. Some municipalities are already reacting to depletion; Joliet recently entered a $1 billion deal with Chicago to secure Lake Michigan water. Unlike Illinois, Michigan has tied tax incentives to a requirement that data centers prove municipal water capacity.

To address these risks, State Senator Steve Stadelman introduced the Illinois Data Center Energy and Water Reporting Act to mandate annual reporting. The industry has opposed the bill, claiming the data is proprietary. Experts emphasize that combined pressures from climate-change-induced droughts and agricultural irrigation make centralized state-level groundwater management and mandatory efficiency standards essential to protect finite aquifers.