This letter features reporting from “Draining Cities Dry: The Giant Tech Companies Queueing Up To Build Datacentres in Drought-Hit Latin America” by Laís Martins and Francisco Amorim
Dear Representative Subramanyam:
I am writing to express my concern about the environmental impacts of data centers amid the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. While I recognize these technologies are important in driving innovation, their massive water consumption for operation and cooling contributes to severe water scarcity, as highlighted by a 2025 Pulitzer Center-supported article in The Guardian. To address this issue, I respectfully ask that you sponsor legislation for water-usage transparency, provide tax incentives for facilities using recycled or non‑potable water, and fund research into smarter cooling strategies.
In the 2025 article “Draining Cities Dry: The Giant Tech Companies Queueing Up To Build Datacentres in Drought-Hit Latin America,” Laís Martins and Francisco Amorim highlight how data centers strain water-stressed regions around the world. Data centers can consume millions of liters of water per day, and some lose 60-80% of the water they consume to evaporation for cooling. In drought-prone areas like Caucaia, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile, operations withdraw billions of liters annually, and usage is expected to grow as more facilities are built. Industrial secrecy worsens the problems as companies often withhold water usage data, leaving communities in the dark. Martins and Amorim also report that excessive water consumption harms ecosystems and worsens food insecurity, making transparency and sustainable management increasingly urgent.
Loudoun County, my neighboring county, has one of the largest concentrations of data centers in the world, earning the nickname “Data Center Alley.” Because of this large-scale infrastructure, Northern Virginia plays a significant role in the global issue of data center-related water scarcity. As the representative for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District that includes Loudoun County, you have the authority to influence policies on environmental reporting and infrastructure standards to ensure that data center growth is balanced with sustainable water management.
Therefore, I urge you to require companies with data centers to publicly disclose their water usage so communities can monitor impacts and hold companies accountable. I also ask that you provide tax incentives for using recycled or non-potable water, similar to California Senate Bill 58. I encourage you to advocate for comparable legislation in Virginia. Finally, I request funding for research into smarter data center server cooling strategies. Studies such as Smart Traffic Routing and Service Allocation Strategy to Reduce Water Consumption in Data Centers Through Power Reduction (Ghanbari & Ghiasian, 2023) show that optimization of server cooling can cut water use by 24-32%, so funding further research could transform data center water management.
With focused efforts and your leadership, I believe we can ensure that data center growth supports technological innovation while promoting sustainable practices.
Sincerely,
Ria Goel
Ria Goel is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.
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