AI queries consume significant water resources: A single ChatGPT email uses 519ml, global AI infrastructure could rival half of UK's annual water withdrawal by 2027

Summary

A 2025 peer-reviewed paper reveals that writing a single 100-word email using ChatGPT consumes about 519 millilitres of water (roughly a standard bottle) for data center cooling. The global AI infrastructure is projected to use water equivalent to half the UK's annual water withdrawal by 2027, with much of that water drawn from drought-stricken regions. The paper, "Making AI Less Thirsty" by researchers at UC Riverside, provides methodology for estimating the per-query water footprint of large language models, accounting for both direct cooling water and indirect water used in electricity generation.

Source

bskyAI queries consume significant water resources: A single ChatGPT email uses 519ml, global AI infrastructure could rival half of UK's annual water withdrawal by 2027share.google