“How are we supposed to know if they’re getting close to the limitations of our freshwater aquifer if we don’t know how much water they’re using?”
71% of Americans don’t want a data center near them, and the people stuck next to one can’t even find out how much of their water it’s draining. The AI boom needs the power and the cooling. The costs land on whatever town was too small to fight back. Residents get the noise, the bills, and a wall of corporate secrecy. The profits get booked somewhere else.