Science & Tech · AI · 2 hrs ago
AI’s water use raises questions as data centres expand in Querétaro
A rainwater-capture project co-founded by Mariana Alcántara plans to use AI to decide when water enters a storage tank, helping reduce wear on its filters.
But running AI requires computers, and data centres can use water for cooling.
The electricity they consume adds to the project’s wider resource footprint.
The discussion uses Querétaro as a reference for what expanding data-centre infrastructure could mean in a place where water is already under pressure.
Bernardo Villasuso of Ecolab México discusses ways to reuse water, while Mariana Nava of WWF’s Water Programme addresses effects on communities sharing water supplies.
The central question is whether AI’s promised water savings outweigh the resources it needs.
The discussion raises that question but gives no final answer or next step.
Artificial intelligence systems can require water indirectly through data centre cooling and the electricity they use.
A report examines the effects of expanding data centres in Querétaro, where water is already under pressure.
Mariana Alcántara, co-founder of Aquacalli, is developing an AI system to manage rainwater collection and reduce filter wear.
The project raises questions about whether AI’s promised water savings outweigh the resources needed to operate it.
The report also considers water reuse and impacts on communities that share water sources.
- Who
- Data centre operators, communities sharing water sources, and people developing or assessing AI water systems.
- What
- The story examines the water demands of AI and data centres, including cooling and electricity use.
- When
- The article was published on 3 November 2026.
- Where
- Querétaro, Mexico, is the main reference point.
- Why
- Data centres may use water while operating in a region where water is already under pressure.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Location
- Querétaro
- Project
- Aquacalli’s AI system for rainwater collection
- Potential water use
- Data centre cooling
- Additional footprint
- Electricity used by data centres