Data centers use millions of gallons residential water. Experts say there's a better way.
The short version: CBS Chicago flags Illinois data centers guzzling millions of gallons daily faster than the state can track, with wastewater reuse floated as the fix nobody's mandating yet.
Our Take
Credit to CBS Chicago for putting a number on what a lot of Illinois residents are starting to feel in their utility bills and their taps: data centers pulling millions of gallons a day, with growth outrunning the state's ability to even monitor it. That last part is the real story. When regulators are playing catch-up on basic water accounting, you can bet the permitting and rate-setting decisions were made long before anyone did the math on what it costs the rest of us.
The experts in this piece are right that reclaimed wastewater is the obvious lower-risk path compared to draining aquifers or municipal supply that households and farms depend on. But 'there's a better way' only matters if it gets written into permits and contracts before shovels hit dirt, not offered as a talking point after the facility's already online and drawing from the same pipes as everyone else. Illinois isn't unique here — this is the same pattern showing up state by state: fast approvals, thin public disclosure, and taxpayers left to ask questions after the deal is signed.
If you want to see how this compares to what's happening near you, check our facility map for the buildout in your area, and if your local officials haven't answered basic questions about water sourcing and rate impacts, our take-action page has a starting point.
This is GridWatch the USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS Chicago, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.