Data Centers and the Water Crisis | Las Vegas News

Data centers are booming—driven by AI and cloud computing—with demand expected to triple by 2030. But cooling these massive, heat-generating facilities is a thirsty problem, especially in water-scarce Southern Nevada. Traditional evaporative cooling guzzles billions of gallons annually, like Google’s Henderson facility that used over 400 million gallons in 2025 alone. With Lake Mead at record lows, the region has halted new projects using this method, pushing for smarter, water-efficient alternatives. Some, like a North Las Vegas center using closed-loop systems, slash water use dramatically—but industry-wide data remains murky. Meanwhile, the economic upside is undeniable: job growth and billions in investment loom, even as the tension between tech expansion and conservation intensifies. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ed8404cb329940ea