Meta's Louisiana AI Data Center Project Raises Alarms Over Water Consumption
December 21, 2025
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is placing unprecedented demands on local resources, with water usage emerging as a critical point of contention. A new Meta data center under construction in Louisiana highlights the growing tension between technological advancement and environmental sustainability, as communities and researchers scrutinize the massive water requirements of these facilities.
According to a report by The Advocate, Meta's new AI data center in Richland Parish, which the company describes as its largest facility worldwide, is registered to consume approximately 8.4 billion gallons of water annually. This equates to about 23 million gallons per day, a volume comparable to the daily usage of 17,000 local residents. The water is planned to be drawn from the Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer, a heavily utilized source that also supplies surrounding communities and agricultural operations.
Meta has stated that the facility's actual annual consumption will be lower, estimated at 500 to 600 million gallons, due to reduced cooling needs during colder months. Nevertheless, this projected usage is three times higher than that of the company's most water-intensive existing data center, as noted in Meta's 2024 sustainability report. The company employs a "closed-loop" cooling system, which recycles water but is also more energy-intensive. The new facility is expected to increase electricity demand for utility Entergy by about 30% in the state, which in turn raises the water needs of the power plants supplying it.
While Meta and state officials have asserted that the facility's water consumption will be sustainable, independent researchers urge caution. Christopher Dalbom, director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, told The Advocate, "There’s no incentive for (Meta) to use less water because they don’t have to pay for it, and it’s not regulated or reported." This lack of oversight is compounded by Louisiana's absence of a comprehensive water use inventory.
A 17-year simulation conducted by Frank Tsai, director of the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute at LSU, indicated that if Meta withdraws its maximum permitted daily amount, groundwater levels could drop over 65 feet in some areas beneath the facility. Such depletion risks land subsidence and saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies. Environmental law expert Mark Davis of Tulane University warned that the cumulative impact of multiple such facilities could echo Louisiana's history of industrial environmental damage.
The project arrives amid a regulatory shift aimed at accelerating data center development. Recently, the Louisiana Public Service Commission passed a proposal to shorten the review process for bringing new data centers online. Meta's facility is anticipated to create around 500 permanent jobs.
Source: wbrz
