When we ask artificial intelligence a question, we do not see a factory.
We do not see a smokestack. We do not see water. We only see an answer on the screen.
Behind it sit huge data centers, thousands of high-performance processors, electricity — and cooling.
And cooling often means water.
Why does AI need water?
Servers generate enormous amounts of heat.
The more intensive the computation, the harder it is to remove that heat.
That is why some data centers use water-based or evaporative cooling systems.
There is also a second, less visible water footprint: water used to generate the electricity that powers the facility.
So there is no single universal figure for “how much water AI uses.”
The answer depends on location, climate, cooling type, power mix, workload, and the specific data center.
How fast is the infrastructure growing?
Very fast.
According to the International Energy Agency, data centers used roughly 415 TWh of electricity in 2024 — about 1.5% of global electricity consumption.
The IEA forecasts around 945 TWh by 2030.
AI is a major driver of that growth, alongside other digital services.
Source: International Energy Agency, Energy and AI, 2025.
As infrastructure grows, the water question grows with it.
One telling example
In its Environmental Report 2025, Google reports that its data centers in 2024 used approximately:
9.866 billion gallons of water withdrawn and 7.787 billion gallons consumed.
That is not “AI’s water” — these sites run many different digital workloads.
But the scale shows why water is becoming central to the conversation about digital infrastructure.
Source: Google Environmental Report 2025.
How much water can training one AI model cost?
Here we need to be careful.
Researchers from the University of California Riverside and the University of Texas Arlington estimate that training GPT-3 in US Microsoft data centers could directly lead to evaporation of about 700,000 liters of fresh water.
That is a model-based estimate, not an official figure published by OpenAI or Microsoft for that specific training run.
But it highlights something important: the digital world has a physical water footprint.
Source: Li, Yang, Islam & Ren, “Making AI Less Thirsty”, 2023.
The industry is already looking for solutions
The good news is that the issue is not going unnoticed.
Microsoft reports that a new direct-to-chip cooling approach can save more than 125 million liters of water per year at a data center.
The company also aims to be water positive by 2030.
Google reports that in 2024 it replenished 4.5 billion gallons of water, equivalent to 64% of its freshwater consumption.
Sources: Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Report 2025; Google Environmental Report 2025.
That is where the sector is heading: more efficient cooling; reuse; non-potable sources; water restoration; better siting; local alternative sources.
And that raises an interesting question
Should tomorrow’s high-tech infrastructure depend on a single water source?
Probably not.
Not every use in a tech campus needs drinking water. Not every task needs the same source. Not every site has the same water availability.
A more logical model is a water mix: reused water for some processes; rainwater for others; municipal supply where needed; and locally produced water as a supplementary source where technology and climate allow.
Can water from air have a role?
Atmospheric water generators will not cool global AI infrastructure on their own — and we should not assign them that role.
They can still be part of a more decentralized water approach — for example on-site drinking water for staff, offices, support areas, or sites where deliveries and local infrastructure are limited.
That shifts the conversation from “which technology will fix this?” to “which combination of technologies will we use?”
The next AI revolution may also be about water
Today we talk a lot about processors, electricity, and carbon emissions.
Tomorrow we will probably talk just as much about water.
Because AI may live in the cloud — but the infrastructure behind the cloud is entirely physical. And it is thirsty too.
Sources
International Energy Agency — Energy and AI, 2025 Google — Environmental Report 2025 Microsoft — Environmental Sustainability Report 2025 Li, P.; Yang, J.; Islam, M.A.; Ren, S. — Making AI Less “Thirsty”, 2023 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report
How technology that extracts water from air is changing ideas of water independence — and why decentralized water supply may become the next major technology trend.
From energy independence to water independence
Only a few decades ago, the idea that a building could produce its own electricity looked more like a technology experiment. Today solar panels, home batteries and smart energy systems are gradually changing how we generate and use power.
Electricity no longer has to travel hundreds of kilometres before it reaches the user. It can be produced on the roof of a home, office or industrial building.
What if we applied the same principle to water?
Imagine an office that produces part of its drinking water on site. A hotel that reduces dependence on bottled-water deliveries. Or a remote site with an additional water source without building a new pipeline.
This is not science fiction.
The technology already exists and is called Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) — producing water from atmospheric moisture.
It raises an interesting question: after energy independence, could an era of water autonomy follow?
1. Air holds far more water than we usually assume
When we talk about the planet’s water resources, we usually picture rivers, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater.
There is another natural reservoir that often stays out of view — the atmosphere.
According to a scientific review in Nature Reviews Materials (2024), Earth’s atmosphere holds roughly 13,000 cubic kilometres of water as vapour.
That equals about 13 quadrillion litres.
For comparison, that is about six times the volume of Lake Victoria — one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes.
Atmospheric water is not concentrated in one place. Its amount changes continuously with temperature, humidity, location and weather.
That is where the technological opportunity appears.
Instead of transporting all needed water to the user, can we extract part of it from the air around them?
Modern atmospheric water systems show that under suitable conditions the answer is yes.
2. How is water produced from air?
The principle is familiar from nature.
When warm, humid air cools enough, water vapour turns into liquid. That is condensation.
It is the same process behind morning dew on grass or droplets on a cold surface.
AWG systems use this physical principle in a controlled technical environment.
In condensation AWG systems the process typically includes:
1. Intake of atmospheric air A fan system draws in ambient air.
2. Cooling and condensation Air passes through a cooling system until its temperature falls below the dew point. Part of the vapour condenses.
3. Collection and treatment The water is collected and treated. Depending on design, this may include mechanical filtration, activated carbon, membrane technologies and UV disinfection.
4. Preparation for drinking Systems intended for drinking water may add mineralisation, chemical-parameter control and microbiological safety steps.
The result is water produced from atmospheric moisture.
Condensation alone does not guarantee drinking quality. That depends on air quality, materials, treatment, system hygiene and regular water monitoring.
3. Why humidity matters so much
One of the most important aspects of AWG is its dependence on climate.
At the same relative humidity, warm air usually holds more vapour than cold air.
For example, at 30°C and 60% relative humidity, one cubic metre of air holds about 18 grams of water vapour.
At 20°C and the same relative humidity, the amount is about 10 grams.
So AWG output cannot be judged by “litres per day” alone.
You also need to know the temperature and humidity at which that output was measured.
A 2026 review in Results in Engineering examines the link between climate conditions, water yield and specific energy consumption.
The conclusion matters: atmospheric water generation is technologically possible in many climates, but efficiency can vary widely.
Choosing the right system therefore starts with analysing the environment where it will operate.
4. After solar panels — a local water source?
Decentralised energy offers a useful model for the future of water supply.
In traditional energy infrastructure, electricity is produced in large plants and distributed through transmission networks.
Solar panels changed that model by letting individual users produce part of their own power.
A similar idea is gradually entering the water sector.
It is called decentralized water supply.
Instead of depending on a single central source for all demand, some buildings and sites can combine local options.
Those include rainwater harvesting, water reuse and treatment, and atmospheric generation.
The difference is that AWG does not need a traditional source such as a river, well or reservoir to produce water.
It uses moisture already present in the air.
That does not mean it can replace piped infrastructure everywhere or under every condition.
But it creates an option for local drinking-water production that can complement existing supply.
In a changing climate, that option becomes increasingly interesting.
5. Water security is becoming a global priority
According to the UN, in 2024 about 2.2 billion people worldwide lacked access to safely managed drinking-water services.
That is more than a quarter of the world’s population.
The water challenge is not limited to traditionally arid countries.
Long droughts, changing rainfall, pollution and pressure on water infrastructure also affect regions that historically had relatively stable resources.
This is where water security comes in.
It does not simply mean that water exists.
It means reliable access to enough water of suitable quality — and the ability to manage risks such as scarcity, pollution and supply interruptions.
For business, the concept is becoming practical.
Hotels, factories, healthcare facilities, offices and remote sites have different needs, but share one question:
How resilient is our activity if access to water is restricted?
Local water production can be one element of a strategy to manage that risk.
6. How much energy does water from air require?
This is one of the most important questions when assessing AWG.
Unlike networked tap water, atmospheric generation needs energy to extract moisture.
Efficiency is usually measured as SEC (Specific Energy Consumption) in kWh/L — how much electricity is needed to produce one litre of water.
A 2026 review in Next Energy notes that for the condensation systems studied under favourable conditions around 30°C and 80% relative humidity, energy use can be about 0.35–0.55 kWh/L.
In dry climates it can be much higher.
These values come from studied systems; they are not a universal figure for every device on the market.
In practice, evaluating a machine should consider together:
• Real output under local climate conditions. • Energy per litre of water. • Maintenance and consumables costs. • Quality and intended use of the water. • Potential integration with renewables.
That last point creates an interesting link between two technologies.
Can solar panels power a water-from-air machine?
Yes — with a correctly sized system.
Photovoltaics can supply AWG equipment; batteries or other sources can support operation when needed.
That leads to an integrated system combining local energy and water production.
It still needs careful technical design.
Solar generation and good conditions for water production do not always coincide in time.
Energy storage, load management and climate data are therefore central to project design.
7. Smart systems can make production more efficient
The next step for AWG is not only stronger compressors or larger machines.
Intelligent control is becoming more important.
Imagine a system that analyses temperature, humidity, energy costs and available solar power.
Instead of running in one fixed mode, it can adapt production to conditions.
That approach is called adaptive control.
The 2026 Next Energy review discusses studies where adaptive strategies achieved up to 44% lower energy use and up to 169% higher specific yield versus the static modes examined.
Those results depend on specific experimental conditions and cannot automatically be transferred to every commercial system.
Still, they show the direction of travel.
Future water-production solutions are likely to be not just machines, but smart systems managing water, energy and resource efficiency together.
That is where Smart Water Management, IoT, AI, renewable integration and Climate Tech meet.
8. What does own water mean for business?
Local drinking-water production opens a new conversation about sustainable resource management.
For an office, it may mean fewer bottled-water deliveries.
For a hotel — an additional local source for certain guest needs.
For a remote site — water production where traditional infrastructure is limited.
For an enterprise — a potential element of a resource-resilience strategy.
These applications have different economics and need individual assessment.
Not every AWG system suits every site, and local production is not always cheaper or greener than existing supply.
Real benefit depends on local conditions, the energy mix, required volumes, operating costs and alternatives.
What the technology adds is something essential: choice.
The option to produce part of the water where it will be used.
9. From water footprint to water resilience
In recent years business has measured its carbon footprint ever more carefully.
The next major topic is the water footprint.
It looks at water used directly and indirectly in products and services, with methodologies also reflecting the type of water resource.
Two ideas must be kept distinct.
Reducing bottled-water deliveries does not automatically reduce the total water footprint.
Atmospheric generation also uses resources — electricity, equipment, materials and consumables.
A full life-cycle analysis is needed to judge the real environmental effect.
That includes equipment manufacture, operation, maintenance and how electricity is obtained.
Even so, local production can offer advantages in specific cases — especially when it replaces frequent bottled deliveries or serves sites with limited infrastructure.
In modern ESG strategies, what matters is not novelty alone, but measurable contribution to business sustainability.
10. Will every building have its own water source?
Probably not.
At least not soon, and not under all climate conditions.
Centralised water systems will remain essential for cities and settlements.
But the future may be more diverse.
Buildings with solar panels. Rainwater systems. Technical-water reuse. Smart demand management. And machines that produce drinking water from atmospheric moisture.
That is the idea of decentralised water infrastructure — different technologies working together to improve supply reliability.
Like the energy transition, this shift will not happen everywhere at once.
It will likely start where local production offers the greatest practical value.
Cup of Air: the technology is already available
At Cup of Air we see atmospheric water generation as part of more flexible, decentralised water solutions.
Our systems use moisture from ambient air to produce water at the point of use.
The technology can suit offices, hotels, commercial spaces and other sites, depending on needs and operating conditions.
We believe water’s future will not be defined only by where we deliver it from — but also by options to produce it closer to where it is needed.
Because the next step toward resource independence may start with a different look at the air around us.
After own energy, does own water come next?
Perhaps the most interesting point is this: we already have technology that lets us ask that question not as fantasy, but as a real possibility.
Scientific sources and further reading
1. Nature Reviews Materials (2024) — Bridging materials innovations to sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting devices. 2. Results in Engineering (2026) — Atmospheric water harvesting for climate-resilient water–energy systems. 3. Next Energy (2026) — Atmospheric water harvesting: A comprehensive review of techniques, innovations, systems, and future prospects. 4. United Nations — Sustainable Development Goals Report (2025), Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. 5. UNESCO — United Nations World Water Development Report (2025), Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers.
We have learned to ask how much CO₂ a company emits.
The next question is: How much water is behind it?
It is not just the water flowing from the office taps, but the water required to produce the raw materials, energy, food, packaging, and services the business utilizes.
This is the water footprint.
The water we don't see
According to the Water Footprint Network, a business's water footprint includes both direct water consumption in its own operations and indirect consumption along the supply chain.
This is exactly where the picture becomes much larger.
A company might use relatively little water in its own facilities but rely on raw materials and products whose production requires significant water resources.
Therefore, the water footprint does not simply answer the question,
"How much do we pay for water?" but rather, "How much water does our business actually depend on?"
Source: Water Footprint Network, The Water Footprint Assessment Manual.
Why Is This Question Becoming Increasingly Important?
Because water can no longer be taken for granted as an unlimited resource.
According to UNESCO, approximately half of the global population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.
At the same time, global demand for freshwater has been increasing by just under 1% annually since the 1980s.
Around 70% of global water withdrawals are related to agriculture, just under 20% to industry, and about 12% to the domestic and municipal sectors.
Source: UNESCO, UN World Water Development Report 2024.
This transforms water from a utility into a business risk. Scarcity can mean:
higher costs;
production constraints;
supplier issues;
more expensive raw materials;
business interruptions;
conflicts between the business and the needs of local communities.
Europe Is Already Talking About a "Water-Smart Economy"
In 2025, the European Commission introduced the European Water Resilience Strategy.
One of the goals is to improve water efficiency in the EU by 10% by 2030.
The strategy emphasizes reducing leaks, modernizing infrastructure, digitalization, water reuse, and the development of innovative water technologies.
Source: European Commission, European Water Resilience Strategy.
This is a significant shift.
Water is no longer viewed solely as an environmental issue.
It is increasingly a matter of competitiveness, sustainability, and security.
After the Carbon Strategy, Is a Water Strategy Next?
We are already witnessing a similar shift among major multinational companies.
Microsoft, for example, aims to become water positive by 2030—meaning it will replenish more water than it consumes in its global operations.
Google reports that in 2024, it replenished approximately 4.5 billion gallons of water, reaching a 64% offset of its freshwater consumption.
Sources: Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Report 2025; Google Environmental Report 2025.
This does not mean every company must become water-positive tomorrow.
It means that a new question is entering corporate governance:
Where does our water come from, and how sustainable is this source?
For example: more efficient sanitation systems; leak detection;
rainwater harvesting; reusing graywater and treated water;
optimizing production processes; local water generation where conditions permit.
What If Part of the Water Comes From the Air?
The atmosphere also contains water.
Atmospheric water generators utilize the humidity in the air, condense the water vapor, and after subsequent treatment, produce water on-site where it is needed.
The technology should not be viewed as a replacement for all existing water sources.
Its more interesting role lies elsewhere:
to add another source to the water mix.
For an office, hotel, enterprise, public building, or remote facility, this could mean producing a portion of the required water locally, rather than relying entirely on a single external source.
The amount of water produced depends on the temperature, relative humidity, the specific technology, and the energy efficiency of the system.
The Next Major Metric?
Years ago, the carbon footprint was a term known mainly to specialists.
Today, it is present in strategies, investment decisions, and annual reports. A similar evolution may happen with water.
Because the question of the future will not merely be: "How much water do we use?", the focus is shifting to "How dependent are we on it, and what happens if access to it changes?"
Sources
UNESCO / UN-Water — UN World Water Development Report 2024
European Commission — European Water Resilience Strategy
Water Footprint Network — The Water Footprint Assessment Manual
World Resources Institute — Corporate Water Benefit Accounting / Corporate Water Risk
Microsoft — Environmental Sustainability Report 2025
About twenty years ago, a building’s roof had a relatively simple job. Today it increasingly hosts technology that produces part of the energy people need inside.
This is one of the more interesting shifts in how we think about buildings. They are gradually stopping being only end points of large infrastructure networks and starting to produce, store and manage resources themselves.
Photovoltaics are the most visible example. According to the International Energy Agency, global electricity generation from solar PV roughly doubled between 2021 and 2024. In 2024 alone, the increase was about 480 TWh.
More interesting than the numbers themselves is the change in mindset. We no longer find it unusual for a hotel, logistics hub, factory or private home to produce part of its own electricity.
With water, we still mostly think in the old model.
Choosing water for a home or office usually comes down to price, taste and convenience. We buy bottles, order dispenser jugs or install a filter — and rarely stop to notice that behind these seemingly similar options sit completely different supply models.
In recent years another option has been added: atmospheric water generation. It is not simply another filtration method, but a different approach: instead of treating water we already have, it uses moisture in the air as the primary source.
That is why the four options are better compared not only by what ends up in the glass, but by where the water comes from, how it reaches us, and what its availability depends on.
Bulgaria has water resources. And yet we increasingly talk about water rationing, network losses, drought and uncertain supply. How is that possible?
The new analysis by the Ministry of Environment and Water, “Water crises in Bulgaria – analysis and solutions”, makes an important point: the country’s water crisis should not be seen as a series of isolated failures or temporary difficulties.
It is a systemic problem.
And perhaps the most important conclusion is that the question is not only whether Bulgaria has water, but how effectively we manage, store and deliver it where it is needed.
The hidden journey of water from the source to the glass
We open the tap. We fill a glass. We drink.
The whole process takes a few seconds, and we rarely think about what happened before that.
But the water that reaches a home, office, hotel or production building has often travelled a long way. It has been taken from a natural source, treated, purified, stored, pumped and transported through kilometres of infrastructure.
And along that path, some of it never reaches the end user.
That turns a seemingly simple question — “Where does our water come from?” — into a more interesting one:
How much of the water we abstract do we actually get to use?
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