Google’s water use in Nebraska rose to roughly 732 million gallons in 2025, intensifying debate over what the AI boom could mean for a drought-prone state.
For some residents and water managers, the total raises a broader concern: If more data centers arrive, can local resources keep pace?
What’s happening?
In a report cited by Flatwater Free Press and Grist at the Nebraska Examiner, Google said its Nebraska operations used about 732.1 million gallons of water in 2025. That compares with 46.6 million gallons in 2022 and 134.7 million in 2023.
The company operates data centers in Papillion, Omaha, and Lincoln, and its nearby site in Council Bluffs, Iowa, reportedly used 1.3 billion gallons in 2025…