How Google's Water Strategy Goes Beyond The Data Centre

As data centres face scrutiny over water use, Google is expanding its sustainability strategy beyond its own facilities through AI-powered agriculture projects designed to reduce pressure on freshwater resources.

According to the World Health Organization, more than two billion people live in water-stressed countries while at least 1.7 billion people use unsanitary drinking water sources.

Against that backdrop, large technology companies are increasingly expected to demonstrate transparency around resource consumption and replenishment strategies.

Google is supporting Agua Segura and Agrow Analytics to deploy precision agriculture technology across farmland in Belgium’s Scheldt Basin, a region facing growing water quality and availability challenges.

While the initiative is focused on farming, it also reflects broader efforts by hyperscale operators to balance rising infrastructure demand with responsible water stewardship.

AI optimisation and infrastructure sustainability

The initiative comes as major cloud and data centre providers increasingly examine how AI technologies can support sustainability goals alongside growing compute demand.

The project aims to reduce water stress, unsustainable irrigation practices and fertiliser overuse across more than 1,000 hectares of farmland.

Together, Google, Agua Segura and Agrow estimate the programme could replenish up to 158 million gallons – around 600,000 cubic metres – of water.

Agrow’s platform combines climate, soil and water data with satellite and thermal imagery to provide farmers with targeted irrigation and fertilisation recommendations.

“Instead of only looking at what AI consumes, I look at what it can optimise,” says Robert Little, Senior Strategy Lead: Sustainability & Sellside at Google, on LinkedIn.

“That is the power of the AI handprint – turning complex environmental data into practical, farm-level decisions that build watershed resilience.”

Google’s agriculture partnership arrives as the industry faces growing questions around the environmental impact of AI infrastructure.

The company has committed to replenishing 120% of the freshwater it consumes across offices and data centres by 2030.

According to Google, it has already replenished more than seven billion gallons of water through 165 projects spanning 97 watersheds worldwide.

These projects include peatland restoration in Ireland, river filtration systems in Taiwan, smart irrigation technology in the Colorado River Basin and AI-powered water monitoring projects in schools across India.

Google says it evaluates each site individually to determine the most sustainable cooling approach, taking into account local watershed conditions, energy availability and long-term climate risks.

“Water is an essential resource and Google we are constantly looking for ways to use it more efficiently,” says Michiel Sallaets, Communications Lead EMEA Technical Infrastructure at Google, on LinkedIn.

“We take a site-specific approach to understand the local hydrological environment to find the best and most sustainable cooling solution - using non-potable sources of freshwater and alternatives to freshwater as much as possible - and to make a positive impact.

“For example, in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, we use water from the industrial canal for cooling and minimum potable water (for human sanitary use mostly).”

In higher water stress regions, Google says it is exploring alternatives including air-cooling systems and reclaimed or recycled water sources to reduce dependence on freshwater supplies.

To support those decisions, the company has developed a science-based water risk framework alongside environmental scientists and hydrologists.

The framework assesses water availability, infrastructure, community demand and climate conditions at a local level before cooling systems are selected.

Growing pressure on hyperscale operators

The conversation around water usage has intensified as hyperscale facilities continue expanding globally to support AI and cloud growth.

Google publicly reports annual water usage and replenishment data as part of its wider sustainability commitments.

Alongside water restoration projects, the company continues investing in technologies designed to improve operational efficiency across its digital infrastructure footprint.

The Belgium agriculture project demonstrates how hyperscale operators are beginning to connect sustainability efforts outside the data centre itself with the long-term environmental impact of digital infrastructure expansion.