Most people never think about the physical infrastructure behind the internet, but the digital world depends on enormous facilities filled with powerful computers.These machines produce heat, and many data centers use water-based cooling systems because they can be an effective and economical way to manage temperatures.Not every data center uses the same amount of water, however, and newer cooling technologies can reduce freshwater demand depending on the location and design.As artificial intelligence continues to expand, we should be asking how companies plan to protect local water resources while meeting the growing demand for digital services.