The Great Lakes contain nearly 20% of the world's surface freshwater, supplying drinking water to more than 40 million people and supporting countless ecosystems, Indigenous nations, and local economies. Yet today, this vital resource faces a growing and underregulated threat: massive data centers built to power AI, cloud computing, and Big Tech infrastructure.
Sign now to demand that the Great Lakes Compact Council and the EPA work together to regulate data center water use and protect Great Lakes water levels.
Since 2019, water levels across the Great Lakes have dropped by two to four feet. Climate change, reduced ice cover, and increased evaporation are already placing enormous strain on the system. At the same time, water-intensive data centers are rapidly expanding throughout the Great Lakes basin -- drawn by easy access to freshwater, tax incentives, and weak oversight.
These facilities can consume hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons of water per year for cooling and energy production. In several communities, residents have already reported falling water pressure, pollution concerns, and a lack of transparency about how much water is being taken, and with what long-term consequences.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact was designed to prevent large-scale water diversions and protect this shared resource. But it was never built to address the quiet depletion caused by modern industrial infrastructure expanding within the basin. Without updated guidance and enforcement, the Compact's protections risk being undermined project by project.
The Great Lakes are not an expendable resource for unchecked technological expansion. They are a public trust – essential to life, climate resilience, and future generations.
Sign now to demand coordinated action from the Great Lakes Compact Council and the EPA to regulate data center water use and protect the world's largest freshwater system before it's too late.
