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Google's data centers in The Dalles, Oregon; Douglas Country, Georgia; Hamina, Finland; St. Ghislain, Belgium; and Singapore.

Google's data centers in The Dalles, Oregon; Douglas Country, Georgia; Hamina, Finland; St. Ghislain, Belgium; and Singapore.

Source: Google
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Climate Adaptation

Google Data Centers’ Secret Cost: Billions of Gallons of Water

To meet surging demand for online information, internet giant taps public water supplies that are already straining from overuse.

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In August 2019, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association built a 16-foot pyramid of jugs in its main entrance in Phoenix. The goal was to show residents of this desert region how much water they each use a day—120 gallons—and to encourage conservation. 

“We must continue to do our part every day,” executive director Warren Tenney wrote in a blog post. “Some of us are still high-end water users who could look for more ways to use water a bit more wisely.”

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