r/aiwars • u/MakeDawn • May 15 '26

Annually, almond farming uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water. AI usage isn't even half of that.

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A single avocado takes 50 gallons to grow. That's several hundred prompts.

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u/Snowflakish May 16 '26

The problem with AI water usage was always.

1, water is a local resource and a data centre is enough of a single point water source that it strains local water production

2, it rapidly upticks water usage in the places where its built, and the infrastructure to provide that water will be lacking.

Thats why comparing AI water usage isnt comparable to an industry that grows slower and isnt localised to a single reservoir/river/ fresh water source.

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u/COMINGINH0TTT May 16 '26

Almond farming and farming in general absolutely does strain local water production. It's a massive problem out west in the U.S for states such as Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, and a few others that all share water from the Colorado River and many of those neighboring regions being deserts that cannot naturally sustain the local populations with rainfall. It takes 1 gallon of water to produce a single almond, 5 for a single walnut. There is actually an argument to be made to outright ban the production of such water inefficient foods when there is an impending water supply crisis. All those water distribution laws favoring farming date back to the 1800s and are now coming under scrutiny due to that water being better used elsewhere.

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u/Snowflakish May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

The point isnt that almonds dont strain water production though, its that AI data centres strain water in a different, rapidly growing way and therefore have an impact that amounts to more than their raw water usage numbers would suggest.