2026 Event Schedule

AI is accelerating demand for data centers at an unprecedented pace. But industry growth is colliding with an urgent global challenge: water scarcity. Less than 1% of the Earth's water is available as freshwater, and many ideal regions for data center development face extreme water stress. In the AI era, NIMBY opposition is growing, and regulators are scrutinizing impacts. Building data centers without water strategies is no longer an option.
This session will explore the technologies, strategies, and narratives to help data centers meet this moment. Attendees will learn how data centers can scale responsibly by adopting advanced water solutions, ranging from zero liquid discharge to circular water systems, which turn wastewater into a resource while reducing dependence on local water supplies. The session will also address policy and infrastructure barriers, such as aging water systems, permitting challenges, and limited inter-agency collaboration, and explore how public-private cooperation can accelerate progress.
Attendees will leave with an understanding of why water is the defining challenge for AI-driven growth, strategies for water neutrality in drought-prone regions, and how proactive engagement can build resilience within communities. As climate impacts intensify, water leadership will be the difference between data centers thriving and being pushed out.