Summer 2026, a severe drop in the water level of the Danube River has put Romania’s and Hungary’s nuclear power plants facing a cooling crisis; a crisis that, alongside rapid growth in artificial intelligence and an increase in the number of power-hungry data centers, has intensified concerns about pressure on water resources.

A 100-megawatt data center may consume about two million liters of water per day, and large facilities may require billions of liters of water annually.

Experts warn that rising temperatures, higher electricity consumption, the expansion of artificial intelligence, and the dependence of power plants on water have created a cycle that increases pressure on both water and energy resources.

Estimates show that the water use of artificial intelligence varies depending on location, cooling technology, and the way electricity is supplied, and there is no fixed figure for it.

Researchers emphasize that using recycled water, low-consumption cooling systems, developing renewable energy, and choosing the right location for building data centers can reduce part of this pressure, but the continued warming of the planet and the expansion of power-hungry infrastructure will make managing this crisis more difficult. Read the full text here