r/technology • u/l0st1nP4r4d1ce • 1d ago

Business Improper redaction reveals Lincoln’s Google Data Center water and electricity usage

https://www.1011now.com/2026/09/30/more-questions-than-answers-about-lincolns-google-data-center-water-electricity-usage/
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u/Talusen 16h ago

In comparison: one ton of alfalfa uses approx 100,000 gallons (4 acre inches) of water to grow.

The water use of the data centers is equivalent to 7,650 tons of alfalfa.

https://waterquality.montana.edu/farm-ranch/irrigation/alfalfa/making_ton.html

Montana grew 3,080,000 tons of alfalfa in 2025

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=MONTANA

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u/MountNevermind 16h ago edited 15h ago

Or a whopping 5.6 percent of all the water used in Lincoln, Nebraska (the place we're talking about) every year. More than 1 out of every 20 gallons used on one thing that is NOT local human usage or even agricultural usage. Something it wasn't being used on before.

765 million / 13.7 billion

https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/12/ltu/utilities/water-system/water-quality-report.pdf

This in a place usually listed as moderate drought risk. They had above average rainfall in 2025, but overall trends as climate change continues does not improve things.

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u/Talusen 16h ago

You are not wrong.

There is something really messed up about the way we distribute, use, and price water in the US.

5

u/Nexies 13h ago

Allowing private individuals to treat water like a commodity and buy up water rights for huge portions of states was a big mistake. Nestle owns a ton of the water rights for California and the owner doesn’t think drinking water access is a human right, its fucked