Steel mill consumed 50% as much water as all US data centers combined
AndyMasley · x · 2026-08-19
The author compares the resource consumption of AI data centers with traditional heavy industry. The Gwangyang Steel Works consumed about 9.8 billion gallons of water in 2024, which is roughly half of the total water consumed onsite by all US data centers combined. The article argues that current debates about data center environmental impact often overlook the complexity of existing industrial systems, treating data centers as uniquely massive without context. It reflects on how society views new infrastructure.
Related event: AI data center water fears overblown, comparisons show(4 posts)→
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